


Crossroads

by TristaML



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Complete, Complicated Relationships, Developing Relationship, Earth, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, Fucked Up, Gen, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Original Character(s), Planet Vegeta, Plot, Plot Twists, Ratings: R, Rough Sex, Sex, Sexual Tension, Some Humor, Yaoi, long story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:27:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 38
Words: 301,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22027054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TristaML/pseuds/TristaML
Summary: Description: COMPLETE! AU YAOI Complicated! Told mostly from Goku’s perspective, but not in first person point of view: Goku is an army soldier on Planet Vegeta who struggles to find something worth while in his life after being dismissed from the army during times of peace. Prince Vegeta is, well, Vegeta, and when their lives collide, neither expects their personal lives to take such a turn, for better, or for worse.
Relationships: Son Goku/Vegeta (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 310
Kudos: 221
Collections: Baby Buu’s Favs, Set Your Pee Pee on Fire





	1. 1

CROSSROADS

Chapter 1

The night set on another wasted day. Most days went by in the same manner. New faces, maybe, but the same boring routine, and most faces weren’t worth a second thought, anyways.

So, he sat, bored amongst friends, tired of prattle and games and even of drinking, but he drank, and he talked, and he played, nonetheless. What else was there to do? Life had become monotonous ever since he got back.

He once thought there would be no coming back. He missed the thrill of _that_ more than the smiles on everyone’s faces. But he smiled back, and he pretended to be at ease.

Would he ever be fine with this? Would he ever find… whatever it is that he’s clearly missing?

On the cusp of thirty years old and he has no lover, no kids, no life other than work, and that’s certainly nothing satisfying in and of itself. Meanwhile nearly everyone he knows has a career, and a lover, or a kid, or both (or all three) and they make it seem so cool. Their lives are full and complete, that much he knew, and for that he was a little… jealous, but he didn’t necessarily want what they have.

Honestly it is an impressive feat that he has nothing to tie him down, nothing to worry about, and no one to answer to at such an age. He wasn’t so upset about the absence of those things as he was about this gaping feeling inside of him that’s been there ever since he’d been dismissed from the army…

It was what he _lived_ for, what he dreamed of, and what he still wanted more than anything in his life. It was his purpose and his joy. His best times, and his worst. Hah! And everyone had said he was too kind for that sort of thing. Perhaps he was kind, but that life was living! It was what he was built for, and he never would have known had it not been for the draft ten years ago. He hadn’t intended on going into the army before that and so many people told him they wished he didn’t have to, even with is impressive lineage (third-class or not), but even so, he did as he was beckoned. He should have known that he would enjoy it, but he never could have known just how much.

Now he missed it more than he missed his family or friends, more than he missed working or school, and more than he desired to be a part of a couple. At least in the army the work was physical work, rewarding and tiring, and it was easy to get a meal, although it was rarely anything special, and it was even easier to get laid, no strings attached, even if it was with men, which he preferred anyways. Most of the men were taken already and just fucking around, which meant it was all for simple lust, and that made things easier. Besides, no one was going to break code and tell someone else’s lover any dirty details. Hooraah!

“Goku, hellooo?! It’s your turn!” a friend called to him.

“Oh, ya!” he snapped back to reality and stood up lazily to take his move in their game.

No one suspected anything. They all just thought of his daze as a ‘happy tranquility’ and nothing more. He liked it that way. There was no point in correcting their assumptions.

“You’ll find someone and settle down, soon!” They said, “You’ll be happier working for a paycheck,” They said, “It’s nice not to have so many rules, isn’t it?!” “We’re so glad you’re not in the line of fire anymore.” “Not everyone should have to be in the King’s Army, especially not someone like _you_.”

But the Goku they knew, the simple man that headed out for training camp so many years ago, did not return the same. Nay. Kakarot, the man, the machine, the warrior, **he** came home, with nothing to do to occupy his time but idle chatter, a few stiff drinks, and settled friends he barely knew. He felt like he knew them, from “facetiming” and letters, and the occasional visits back home in between tours, but he also knew, with every brief encounter, that his world had changed just like theirs, only, not in the same ways, and that for as much as he may know them, they couldn’t possibly know him. Not anymore.

His only solace was his father and his elder brother, both men of war, one a retired but still working and well-respected fighter, and the other, a Commander, and a popular one at that, with his own brat on the way, and about damn time, too. They would be coming home soon, if only for a few weeks, and Goku was looking forward to their company. His father, Bardock, was a battle worn man that understood the pressures of the Royal Army more than anyone. He’s been a vital asset to the King’s lineup for many years, and he was always more interested with what’s up and coming in his son’s lives than he was in his own, and Raditz, likewise, was always hurrying this way or that for someone or another, and was generally too happy to see his little brother whenever he got the chance that he rarely ever got upset about anything when he was around, but he was also stern and be harsh, definitely more so than their father.

Right after his turn in the game he stepped outside for some fresh air, not bothering with how cold it is or how strange it may look that he clearly wished to be alone, if they even noticed. As soon as he got outside, he checked his phone for any messages from the guys back at the camps. _‘Anything at all. Good. Bad. Give me something,’_ he thought, but there was nothing. Not yet, anyways.

Most of the men were just now getting home, each deployment happening at different times, and it suddenly dawned on Goku that his army friends were just that, _army_ friends, men he could trust his life with, but men that could never be _in_ his life. It was that moment that he let it finally sink in. The war is over. Planet Vegeta has no need for third-string army brats, anymore, no matter how eager he and his crew had been. Or how good they had been. Or how long they had served. He was still just a third-class, and still just the child of an army man.

Would he ever see them again? Would he ever see battle again? Would he ever feel so needed? Would he ever feel that _rush_ …?

He turned back to glance inside at all of them and in spite of his gloomy thoughts he still smiled. How lucky they all were that he and so many others had dedicated so much time of their lives to their safety. How privileged he feels to be able to come home to them, without a tag on his toe, or any serious injuries, even. How nice it is that they were able to carry on this whole time… and he means that sincerely. He loves them he just… doesn’t feel like he belongs with them.

He looked away and walked out of site from the back door and lit up a cigarette, which he proceeded to smoke quickly. Most of them wouldn’t approve, but it was more of a reflex of escape than a habit, a little bit of a secret he enjoys hiding. A little something for the edge.

Smoking reminded him of Earth, the planet he might have destroyed some years ago had it not been for the freak accident of him falling out of his ship upon arrival and hitting his head. Thanks to the Royal Guard’s sticking it out that day and the King’s miraculous transformation into a Super Saiyan, which was quickly followed by the destruction of Frieza, Planet Vegeta found itself dictator-less and Raditz was able to fetch his little brother from the far away planet rather quickly. Upon arriving on the Earth, even his muscle-bound meat-head big brother had enough brains to see that their kind, being so similar to the Saiyans in make, could be useful to his people and he was able to bring back some interesting information, upon persuasion, and valuable equipment, along with his baby brother.

That was so long ago, and Kakarot has been back to Earth twice now, both times for business, and he couldn’t help but acknowledge the irony in being there, and he cherished the memories, for he loved the wildlife and the scenery there, but he did not love the people. At least, their culture left much to be desired, even still, he couldn’t help but wonder at the relationship between the two planets- one never knows when a chance encounter, and averting disaster, may turn into a long-term relationship.

It’s strange what an asset the Earth has been to Planet Vegeta over the years, but it’s also been a negative influence on their people, at least, in some Saiyan’s opinions.

Ever since the Earthlings had started trading items with Planet Vegeta, and their economy has begun to grow _without_ war for once, things started changing. People started settling down more than ever, getting lazy even. What-with creatures like Frieza being out of the picture now for barely over twenty years, and the King’s prosperous reign ever more bountiful and secure, as this last battle was all but declared as the finale, the grand tipping of the scales. There would be no more need for the warrior race of Saiyans to come forth in fearsome conquest. There would be time for the focus of their people to take a turn about a different road.

But where would their path lead them?

‘Not like the Earth. Surely, we can be smarter than that,’ Goku mused, but he didn’t know. He could be wrong, but he hoped their people had more sense than the Humans.

He put out the cigarette, which was only a little reminder of the idiocies of the people on Earth, half-smoked, and tossed it away, before turning to head back inside, hoping to go straight to the bathroom to refresh himself (even though he knew someone inside would smell the smoke on him anyways), and then to the kitchen for a shot. What else was there to do? He could think himself silly, but it wouldn’t change his circumstances. He wasn’t needed anymore by the only thing in the world he deemed worthwhile.

What he wouldn’t give to be back in the Saiyan Army!


	2. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

Chapter 2

“Goku!” Raditz cried out the moment he landed. His voice was so loud it would have woken up the entire house, had anyone except for Goku been home.

But it was only the younger brother there, everyone else had gone either late in the night or early in the morning, and he was already awake and aware of Raditz’s arrival, and on his way to greet him at the door the second he had heard his voice. “Rad!” he replied with glee, arms held out, ready for the bear hug he knew he was about to receive.

Raditz dropped his bag on the ground and didn’t disappoint. He was a foot taller than Goku, and nearly twice his girth, and he put all of his weight into his hold onto Goku before letting him go and holding him at arm’s length to get a good look at him. “You’ve been eating well, I see!”

“Always do!” he cracked a smile, “Well, except for-”

“On the base, yeah, I know!” Raditz rolled his eyes as he let him go and picked up his bag again, “I told you, there’s nothing I can do about that. You’re free anyways, so quit bringing it up!”

Goku just grinned. He had more to say, but he’d wait to bring up the heavy stuff a little later in the day. Raditz proceeded to make his way inside, so used to his father’s home even after being gone for so long, that he skipped over the part of the front steps that’s come a little loose over the years, as to not make it worse until they finally get around to fixing it. Kakarot followed right along, hoping over it just the same, as they had since he was young.

Raditz hollered, having dropped his bag on the dining room table, he made his way to the kitchen in the blink of an eye, “Dad should be home some time tonight.”

“Yeah, he told me. Hey! Where’s all your stuff? Don’t tell me you ‘upgraded’ to those Capsule Corp. thingies?” Goku wondered, eyeing Raditz’s bag suspiciously.

Raditz rummaged through the fridge and made himself something to eat with incredible quickness. Once finished, he grinned as he came out of the kitchen with his food in hand, and replied, “You’re damn right I did! It took me a long time to save up the money for those bad boys and I am not disappointed. The technology is incredible!”

“I thought they were keeping them strictly for army use?”

“No,” he munched on his sandwich, “And yes. Well, not exactly anymore. They’re gonna make it cheaper, considerably, and give more access to it for the public.”

“But what’s the point in it?” Goku argued, tired of hearing about Capsule Cooperation. That’s all anyone seems to talk about nowadays.

“What’s the point?! Are you kidding?! Do you have any idea how useful- you know what?! Never mind, you numbskull,” Raditz regathered his things.

Goku huffed, “Carrying a few extra things around never hurt anyone.”

“You need to get with the times, little bro! You sound like an old man with that attitude! Besides, there’s really no drawback! Well, except for if you open up the wrong pod in the wrong place. That can be a disaster!”

Goku laughed and shook his head, imagining just how bad that could be, and knowing that Raditz was probably speaking from experience.

“Maybe I could get you one or two, it might change your mind!”

Goku didn’t reply to affirm or deny any interest, he just sort-of hummed and then changed the subject. “Man, I’m glad to see you.”

“Same,” Raditz replied, mouth full, as he ruffled his brother’s hair. A Saiyans affections for one another were more physical than spoken, and Goku found his brother’s way of showing appreciation deplorable and infectious all at the same time. He didn’t want to be treated as his twenty-year junior, but he’d take the demeaning gesture over nothing. He’d rather have a brother who loved him and showed it, than one who disdained their lack of familiar motherhood (they are half-brothers, after all) and held him at bay emotionally. Raditz got his big heart from his father, he supposed, since both brothers were wired for long-term relationships, but lacked the ability to build such ties without force.

“So!” Goku began, after following his brother to his room, disregarding his privacy for now, “What’s going on with the King’s new terms? I heard something about new protocol…”

“Hm?” Raditz replied, his mind ever absent, “Oh, yeah, I’m not sure. But the Prince has some ideas of his own, and I think he means business. I mean, I know he does, but I don’t know what he has in mind.”

“What does that mean?” Goku pouted, “What would the Prince want to change in his father’s affairs? I thought he didn’t care much for the general army…” but just as he asked the question, he hoped for affirmation that there _would_ be change, all the same.

Raditz tossed his pack on the ground and jumped onto the bed, finishing off the last bite of his snack as he replied, “It might not just be about the army. Besides! You **never** know with him.”

Goku leaned against the door frame and stuck his hands in his pockets as he remarked, “Maybe you shouldn’t toss that thing around so much, weren’t you just talking about misfires?”

“Nah!” Raditz smiled, “Not like that! They’re all in cases, and it takes more than a click of a button to deploy them, you have to be holding down another button first. You should really check them out. I’ll get you some, for storage. For food. Since that’s the only thing you care about.”

Goku laughed and looked away. He wanted to say more.

Raditz could tell, and he had a pretty good idea what was on Goku’s mind. He put his hands behind his head as he relaxed, tired from the morning’s commute, as he pried, “What’s with you and all this curiosity about what His Majesty’s plans are, especially for army recruits? Aren’t you happy to be home? To be out?”

 _‘No.’_ “It’s not that… I just… I liked the army, that’s all,” Goku answered gently and honestly.

“Come on, you don’t want to be a lifer like Dad, or like me, do you? Nooo, that’s not for you,” and with that, Raditz closed his eyes, inferring that he was ready to doze off, and he probably was just tired enough to fall asleep midsentence.

 _‘Maybe…’_ Goku thought. “You know more than you’re telling me,” he huffed, but he stood up tall and squared his shoulders as he remarked, “That’s fine, you get some rest, I’ll hound you some more once you’re awake and alert enough to give me some solid answers.”

Raditz cracked an eye open as Goku turned to leave and shut the door. “Why don’t you ask our father? He’s the one who sits in on private meetings with our King!”

Goku turned and clicked his tongue, “Because he avoids answering questions altogether! You have the answers, you just love to tease!” With that he shut the door just as Raditz threw a pillow at it, and as he walked away, he smiled to himself, happy to have his family home. As small as they were, and annoying as they could be, he loved them.

He would wait for their father and ask him the same thing, but he doubted Bardock would have anything more to say, at least, not until he’s had a few drinks in him. There’s always later tonight.

Later that night did bring on the drinking and Goku so loved the time he had with his brother and his father, even their teasing, that he forgot all about grilling either of them for more information. Well, he didn’t forget entirely, he just knew better than to obsess entirely over it during such a delicate time, and their jovial attitudes were a little bit distracting, and he hated it when they laughed together about something that went over his head.

Still, he knows he’s lucky to have them both. He knows how precious their time is together. He knows so many Saiyan’s who don’t have this; who will never have this… It’s easy to enjoy the moment, and “enjoy the moment” and “confront the challenge” are his mottos. Sometimes he even does both at the same time, but not right now.

No, right now Bardock was grinning from ear to ear, fawning over his eldest son’s blush as Raditz discussed his baby on the way. He was as proud as a grandfather could be, but he hadn’t met the mother yet, and he wouldn’t let it go. After eating a wonderful home cooked meal and then cleaning up, they settled back down at the kitchen table, where most Saiyan families tend to congregate, and continued drinking and sharing stories alike. They jested and played and asked each other all the normal how-do-you-do’s, but Bardock insisted on bringing up his grandchild’s mother once more. Goku was pleased to hear the two of them talk about something so important. Their little family was about to get that much bigger.

“I told you, Dad, I don’t know when it’s gonna happen!” Raditz sighed, laughingly. “She’s got things to do with her family, too, and I have yet to meet them, so back off.”

“I can see that you’re nervous about that,” Bardock chuckled, “But you really don’t need to be, even if they aren’t happy with the situation, they certainly aren’t going to tell you, _Commander_.”

Raditz’s blush reddened as he flustered out his answer, “It’s not like that! I care- I mean!”

“So, the truth comes out!” Bardock smiled at Goku slyly, before expressing his joy further, “I figured as much, you’ve been mentioning Minala for some time before this. I knew it was only a matter of time before you either made it official or had a child on the way, whichever came first.”

Goku rolled his eyes, and remarked sarcastically to his father, in aid of his brother, “Of course you did! You know everything!”

Bardock snorted and took another drink, “You don’t know the half of it!” he joked, but sometimes Goku wasn’t so sure he was kidding. His father does have an eerily creepy way of knowing things before they happen. And just like that Bardock turned his attention to Goku and exclaimed, “I feel like I’ve been ignoring you, Kakarot! So! Have you given any thought about this tournament?”

“Hmn!?!” Goku perked up, having taken a gulp of his beverage the moment he asked the question, and he wasn’t sure he heard him correctly. He approved of the fact that his father still called him by his birth name on occasion, unlike everyone else, but he heard it so rarely it made him a little nervous.

Raditz’s eyes went wide and he stared at his father as though he’d just pointed out the purple elephant in the room, or so he’s heard the Earthling’s put it.

“Yeah,” Bardock smirked, the knowing gleam in his eye ever twinkling, “I thought that maybe you already had plans to go and you were just keeping us in suspense.”

Raditz interrupted, “First off, no business-talk the first night home! And second,” he poked his smaller parental figure in the chest, “Don’t go filling his head with ideas about spending the rest of his life in the army! The tournament is way over his bracket of expertise!”

“What tournament? I can apply, even as a third class?” Goku wondered, excitedly, ignoring Raditz’s rude comment. He hasn’t seen him fight in _years_ ; he has no idea what he’s capable of anymore. Goku asked, just to be sure, “I thought that the Royals weren’t interested in lower class soldiers now that they can afford to spend time molding the upper class…?”

“They’re not interested, Goku,” Raditz frowned, finishing off his beer, and glaring at their father, “But since you insist on knowing more, I’ll tell you. This is all the Prince’s idea, and it’s not necessarily about gaining a place in the army. He has ordered for there to be a combat tournament held at the castle. 5 rounds total. Ten separate preliminaries, though, but I’m not sure what that means. However, if you make it past round 3, you’re automatically in the army, regardless of rank.”

 _‘So that’s… how many official army recruits?’_ Goku wondered.

“That would mean only 30 new soldiers would make it through round 3,” Bardock determined, having already heard that much about the competition. He wondered, “Clearly this isn’t supposed to be meant to enhance the Saiyan’s militia. So, what do you get if you win?” he asked, throwing a playful smile at his youngest. Goku fidgeted in his seat.

Raditz hesitated but answered with a haughtiness that Goku imagined rivalled even the Prince’s, “Well, if you get to round 4, you get elevated in rank by one level, if you’re a lower classman, as well as your pick of choices for military training and placement, which I personally don’t understand. They’ll still be at the bottom of the ranks as far as each squad commander is concerned. But if you _win_ you get to be added to the Prince’s personal bodyguards. As well as reward money, of course. But I don’t know how they’ll determine the best of the top men. I wasn’t really listening when they were discussing it prior to my leave.”

Goku didn’t care too much for the idea of being part of the Prince’s posy, but back in the army, oh ho, he was all in and his mind was racing at the possibilities. In his eagerness, he asked, “What do I do to enter this thing?”

Bardock raised a brow at how quickly his youngest had conceded, but Raditz was the one who questioned, “You want to be a part of the Prince’s guards?” He huffed and rolled his eyes, “I don’t know why he has guards anyways, he’s stronger than all of them. None of this makes sense. I’m sure there’s more to it than I’ve given thought to at the moment.”

Goku laughed, “I don’t care to be a part of the Royal Guard! But if it’s a fighting competition count me in! I’d love to see how I match up against my fellow Saiyans!” He was smart enough to make it seem as though the army wasn’t his main aim, if it would appease his elder brother, and honestly, it seemed unlikely that he’d make it; winning 3 rounds of fights up against possible Elites is a long shot and he knew he would have a hell of a way to go to do it. Besides, he also knew how difficult those rounds would be. The King likes to keep things interesting at the castle, regardless if this is the Prince’s idea or not, and from what he’s heard, the Royals don’t always play simple.

“Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, baby brother, but the tournament starts in two days, and it takes a half a day just to get to the castle,” Raditz remarked smartly, “Besides, you just got back two weeks ago, I figured you’d want some time to settle back in to civilian life.”

“So soon?! You weren’t going to tell me!” Goku yipped in annoyance, “Why not?!”

Bardock intervened, “Come now, Goku, I’m sure he planned on telling you. He wouldn’t keep you from making your own decisions, now, would you, Raditz?”

Raditz looked away for a moment under his father’s scrutinizing glare. There was a time when Bardock had tried to talk Raditz out of joining the army, but in the end, he let him make his own choice, and it turned out to be the best decision his second-class son could have made. Raditz couldn’t begrudge his own brother the opportunity to do the same if that’s what he really wanted.

Even so, he argued, disregarding Bardock’s comment as his father got up and went into the kitchen, “What do you want to be in the army so badly for, anyways, Goku? I know you have no desire to be a part of the guard, even if that were a possibility, so the army must be your aim. There are no more wars- at least for now- you’d be stuck training and doing grunt work. And if you _somehow_ manage to get into the Prince’s guard, you’ll be bored out of your mind!”

Goku’s mind was made up, and although Raditz had guessed correctly, he still didn’t want to give away his desire to be anything but a normal civilian, and so he simply said, “A tournament is more excitement than I’m gonna get sitting around here! I hate to cut our reunion short, but I’m going to castle! I’ll leave tomorrow afternoon! That’ll give me just enough time to get a room and a good night’s sleep before it starts! This is great!”

Bardock smiled, having grabbed three more beers from the kitchen, he came back and handed both of his sons another round. Opening up his own fresh beer he offered for them to cheers and said, “We’ll go, too! It’ll be fun to see the best talent that Planet Vegeta has to offer! We have nothing else to do!”

Raditz groaned but clinked their cans together anyways and Goku hollered in excitement before they all three closed the deal by taking a long drink.

“Any anyways,” Bardock winked at Kakarot, “Minala lives near the castle, doesn’t she? We’ll finally get to meet her, too!”

“Well!” Raditz fumed, embarrassed all over again, “Since we’re not going to be able to prolong our holiday, we may as well make this one hell of a night! I propose a game! A drinking game! And the first one to pass out loses!”

Goku laughed and declined entry to this challenge, but Bardock put money on it.

The three men nursed their hangover as best they could as they slowly packed up their belongings for the long journey. They ate a little, sat down for a bit, packed a few things, then ate a little more, and then started packing again. The best part about travelling so far around this time of year was the chill in the air and they were looking forward to it. Since the castle is several cities away, one would normally break quite a sweat, but it’s been cold lately, and would be for some months, which meant for perfect weather for their journey, and their queasy stomachs.

Raditz was in the living room groaning to Bardock about their poor decisions the night before, and Goku overheard Bardock insisting he would get Raditz back for it one day. Goku could only smile as he treasured their company from afar. He didn’t feel amazing, but he would feel perfectly fine tomorrow and he was looking forward to it, and he was happy they were being so accommodating with their quick change in plans.

He guessed that not all Saiyans had turned into lazy momentary pleasure seekers, after all, there was still adventure and challenge in at least some of their hearts. They each looked forward to the event from different perspectives.

An hour later Raditz knocked on Goku’s door, to which Goku told him to enter. When his older brother came in Raditz explained without Goku ever looking up, “We have to leave in half an hour if we want to make good time,” and he tossed something onto the bed, which quickly hopped its way under the blankets.

“What’s this?” Goku said as he pulled back the covers to find whatever Raditz had thrown his way.

“It’s a capsule, for clothes. If you win, you’re gonna wanna have more packed than just a week’s worth,” Raditz smiled.

Goku smiled back but tossed it back to his brother, “I appreciate it, but you spent a lot of money on those things,” he turned his back to him as he continued packing, “You make a good point, and I’ll do that, but I like the idea of thinking of the extra weight as a training exercise.”

Raditz chuckled and shook his head, “Fine. Be stubborn, as usual, but take it anyways,” he held the small contraption out for his brother to take, “Stash it in your bag. You may find it useful, one of these days.”

“Thanks,” Goku smiled and took it from him, doing as he suggested.

Raditz turned and left quickly after that, going to finish his own packing.

They were on their way in no time, and they spent a good amount of the journey in conversation as they each started the feel better and their spirits rose in excitement.

Bardock explained that he was able to get them a room, but that they would have to share and be happy about it. In fact, they were lucky to have found one, especially one so close to the castle. Apparently, news of this tournament had spread faster and roused more fighters than the Royal house expected. All the hotels in the surrounding tri city area were booked. The only reason they even got a room was because of Bardock’s knowing so many men at the castle, good timing on their part, and an emergency cancellation on the part of a prior contestant.

Raditz remarked that he wasn’t the least bit surprised. Goku was far too complacent to say much of anything on the matter. He just figured it was going to work out.

“When did the Prince announce this thing, anyways, Rad?” Goku inquired.

Raditz considered it for a moment before responding, “I’m not really sure he ever did. I think it was more of a word of mouth thing, I only heard about it two weeks ago, around the time you were headed home, I guess. It couldn’t have been much sooner than that.”

As they got closer their conversation had slowed, but it came to a complete halt when they began to see the true extent of the commotion before them. It took them quite some time to get inside the hotel, another hour just to get the key to their room, and two more hours to get something eat. Once they were able to finally pass out back at the hotel, that’s exactly what they did, and they all got a good night’s sleep.

The morning of the tournament came, and they rose early, and they ate quickly, having thought ahead and ordered something to-go the night before, and then headed down to get started in what they figured was going to be a long day. By now they were able to think more clearly than they had before and they realized that all the hustle and bustle had not been from delirious thoughts of a chemical imbalance due to their hangovers, or their long days travel. There had to be thousands of contestants there, all with family and friends to cheer them on. The crowds roared and seemed to push and sway as they made their way slowly to the stands to get Goku his fighting number. It was drawn on his hand in henna in an odd shade of orange, the number 4444, and all he had to do now was figure out where to go, wait and follow instructions. It helped that his personal information was already in their system from when he was in the army, otherwise he might not have been able to compete since he had forgotten to get a registration number from the website when they were on their way, but all former army soldiers were looked upon respectfully on Planet Vegeta and granted full access to things such as this.

Bardock and Raditz stood close by, but they were both stopped by several familiar faces who fawned over the youngest member of the Son family and wished him luck, and even though they respected the Son name, they seriously (and secretly) doubted he’d get very far into the competition. Raditz was dragged away by some army friends and Bardock’s ear was all but talked off by some castle colleagues and it was in this time during their waiting that they realized that this tournament was not limited to new recruits only. The crowd pushed and screamed.

Bardock turned to Goku after another acquaintance bid them farewell and said, “Now I think I’m starting to get it.”

“Get what?” Goku said, leaning closer to hear him over the crowds of people.

“Walk with me, Raditz will find us,” he said, “Reinka back there explain everything to me. We have to get you to your platform before it begins. We wouldn’t want you to be disqualified for something silly like that.”

Goku followed him hurriedly, thankful that Bardock seemed to have an idea where he was going. Soon he began to see that the ink on each temporary tattoo was color coordinated, and that there were several platforms with, likewise, colored flags. These flags were being used to signal a divide in the people, so the crowd wouldn’t stay so chaotic. Once he noticed that they were pretty much surrounded by all the men and women who were submitted for the same one as him, his mind felt much more at ease and he listened to everything his father said.

“You’ll be up against Saiyans who are already in the army, including Elites, as well as third-class citizens.” Goku nodded in understanding and Bardock continued to explain, “The crowd’s reckless, it’s not just in our heads. You remember all that ruckus back there a few minutes ago? There have been several fighters disqualified already for fighting out of turn.”

A voice came over the PA, **“Attention all contestants! Please prepare for round 1.”**

“You’ll have to keep your head calm to move on in this one. In some of the rounds, ki is not allowed. I think they’ll explain that more before they begin. But-”

**“Attention all contestants…”**

Goku handed his pack to his father and began to stretch as he listened.

Bardock continued, “They aren’t wasting any time, Goku. Today is going to get you to round 3. Tomorrow to 4. The third is the final day, and to my understanding you’ll be fighting not only against your opponent in the ring, but against the Prince’s current bodyguards, or some of the army Generals, but that could be just a rumor.”

**“Attention all contestants. Round 1 will begin shortly.”**

“Go, go now!” Bardock urged and smirked at his son, “And good luck! Stay on your toes and follow the rules!”

Raditz came up to cheer him on just as he headed towards the bench in front of the platform like so many of the others.

**“Attention all contestants! In round 1, we will have all the contestants whose numbers are marked in orange spread themselves out amongst the ten platforms.”**

Goku noticed that all the flags on all ten platforms were dropped in orange and the looked down at his hand. _‘That’s me!’_ he thought.

**“Go now. Again. All the contestants whose numbers are marked in orange, please step up onto the platform of your choice.”**

His anticipation rose as he jumped onto the platform nearest him, without thinking much about it. He continued to do some light stretching and smiled as he looked around at his competition.

 _‘I wonder how they’re gonna sort this mess out. There’s so many Saiyans here!’_ He felt as though he was being closed in on as more and more Saiyans mounted the ring, he could barely see beyond the men and women on the platform with him, but he remained calm and listened for further instruction.

 **“Round 1 will proceed at the sound of the bell,”** The PA voice sounded again. “ **Please listen to all instructions.”**

Raditz turned to Bardock, “You know this is madness,” he said.

“I know,” Bardock smirked, “But I think he’ll manage just fine, and if he doesn’t. It’ll only make him want to train harder. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

**“In this round, there will be no ki allowed. Our proctors are watching and will remove you from the competition if you are found using ki techniques. In this round, you must fight to stay on the platform. Any contestant falling off, or thrown off, will be eliminated…”**

“Man, they’re really dragging this out, aren’t they?” Raditz mumbled, “I can’t even see him up there. How are they gonna sort through all of them?”

Bardock smiled at Raditz’s restlessness, for he knew the feeling and anticipation was swelling up inside of him as well.

**“Round 1 is about to commence. In this round, it will be an all-out free-for-all. The ten last remaining fighters in all ten platforms, in all colors, will proceed.”**

Temperatures rose, heartbeats quickened.

“A free-for-all!” Bardock mused.

 **“Round 1 is about to begin.”** _DING!_

Several of the opponents didn’t know what hit them. How many of them were even up there? At least a couple hundred on each platform, and no one could tell anything unless it was on the outskirts on the stages themselves, and that was brutal. Several people were thrown off just as the bell had rung. Several more minute after minute after that. Already Saiyans were caught using ki and disqualified by officials who’d hardly been noticed a few minutes prior.

“Do you see him?” Raditz asked.

“No,” Bardock answered.

The fights went on. Little by little the group on the stands began to disperse and already several of the losing Saiyans has started scuffles within the mob on the floor, to which they were they knocked out by policing Saiyans and escorted off the premises. Several more minutes passed and Raditz thought he caught a glimpse of his brother, but he couldn’t be sure.

Already one of the ten platforms were getting low on still qualified fighters, and their turn was about to be over. 30 minutes in, two of the platforms were cleared, and twenty fighters gave their information to the officials and were all set to advance.

Finally, about 45 minutes in and they could see Goku. His lip was bloody, but his stance was still strong. 5 of 10 of the platforms were cleared, and the rest of the fighters who were waiting for their round to begin were starting to become restless.

The crowd roared on and the fighters on stage became more aggressive.

Goku was on the defensive, staying low and avoiding hits at all costs.

Bardock smirked and Raditz, who noticed out of the corner of his eye, turned to him and asked him why he looked so smug.

“I’m just… admiring the Prince’s genius, or the King’s, whoever set this up. They want new army recruits, hah, and they started off with a free for all. One man against hundreds. It’s just…. smart. I’m still curious, though, there seems to be some other reason for this whole thing. I mean, besides the obvious, it’s almost as though it was poorly planned on purpose. Or it was perfectly planned… on purpose.”

Raditz turned back to the plateau and thought about what his father meant. He could see the credibility in the first thing he said, and the second... Well, he could agree with that, too. What is the true point in this? For it to be thrown together so quickly and not even fully advertised. Perhaps he’ll ask more questions when he finds someone that he knows from the castle later today.

The platforms were clearing quicker now. Only two of the stages were still in contest, with Goku’s being one of them, and he was hanging on to his game plan and keeping a solid defense.

Raditz grew nervous and spoke, “There’s only 11 fighters left up there with him!”

Bardock nodded.

One man picked Goku out of the fighters and went after him and him alone. Each individual hung on to their pride and their skill and their chance, each as desperate at the other to win this round.

Bardock looked around at the second platform of men and women still fighting. There was a good twenty-five or so Saiyans still on that one. His eyes flickered back to his son, who was still diverting disaster with the man who had targeted his son as the easiest objective to his victory.

He overheard someone saying, “That poor young man, he can’t even fight back.”

A few more minutes passed, and the bigger fighter was getting annoyed and began taunting Goku. What was said, neither Bardock nor Raditz was sure, but they recognized his mounting frustration.

“He’s got it,” Bardock smirked. Raditz didn’t have time to respond.

A moment later, the large, brutish looking Saiyan tried to go in for an ambush, and Goku used his own inertia to throw him off of him and out of the ring.

“OHHH!” the crowd cried, having not expected that. The officials called the fight for that platform, got the numbers and names of the contestants, and allowed them all to step down and prepare for the next round.

Goku headed straight for his family, all smiles.

“What the fuck was that?! You didn’t even fight?!” Raditz growled, annoyed, although pleased, with his little brother.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, well, I didn’t want to tire myself out, ya know?” Goku answered as he stretched out his sore shoulder and wiped the blood off his lower lip. “Gotta be ready for the next round!”

Bardock smirked and nodded.

The last platform finished their turn shortly afterwards.

After hanging about and getting a bite to eat as the rest of preliminaries went on, the crowd lessened immensely. Bardock asked around and found out that there are 15 different color categories, which meant that there would still be 1500 fighters going into round 2. He couldn’t guess at what their Prince had in mind to keep weeding out the weaker, or at least less experienced fighters, but he was very curious for more. He hadn’t seen something this exciting, well, in a friendly sort of way, in a long time.

Raditz kept being stopped by people who knew him and wished to talk about this and that, and Bardock, likewise, had several times explained about his youngest son’s interest in competing to people that he knew and worked with. It was a pleasant way to pass the time, especially for Bardock, getting to show off his family, but Goku couldn’t pay any attention to them. He was much too anxious over the next step in the processes planned for the day.

He did overhear someone asking Raditz if he thought the Prince was here somewhere watching in secrecy, to which Raditz replied, “I highly doubt it. If anything, he’s watching from the comfort of his quarters, probably with our King. I’m sure there are cameras here everywhere. They aren’t going to let just anyone enter the Royal Guard and I doubt that the Prince would waste his time watching the masses duke it out in person. At least not on this level of competition.”

The people he was talking to agreed, and Goku wondered about that for a moment before being distracted by the announcement of the ending of the last battle of the first round.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	3. 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thank you so much for all the Kudos and for those who bookmarked! I hope to keep your interests, this story is barely getting started!

CHAPTER 3

It was past one in the afternoon when they called for the second round to commence and explained that the subcategories of color no longer applied. This time they would fight, again in free-for-all-style, 150 to a platform, on all ten platforms until the last remaining 30 fighters per ring are tallied, and only then will they be allowed to proceed. Still no ki techniques would be accepted, and there is one kicker: this fight will be timed. They will have 90 minutes to knock out as many opponents as they can. The mediators would be watching and counting. If, in the event one platform held 10 Saiyans and one held 40 at the end of the time, the regulators would allow it. So, essentially, it’s a true “last-man-standing” type of fight. The numbers simply had to match 300 and the fighters simply had to follow the rules and win. Nothing else mattered.

The battle had already begun by the time Raditz got the time to ask his father if he still thought this whole thing was a little odd.

Bardock glanced at his son and gave a look of affirmation, but neither of them said anything else to one another about it. Not in this crowd. It was difficult to tell who was working for the castle and who wasn’t, and some of the remaining spectators didn’t even have any ties to the fighters, they were simply there to see a good show.

“Goku!” A young man called out from across the way. Raditz turned to see who it was, but as he ran up Raditz didn’t recognize him and he looked him up and down defensively. It wasn’t until Bardock turned around that the person realized he wasn’t who he thought, and he apologized.

“Ah, don’t worry about it- happens sometimes back home- Goku’s my son…” Bardock replied and the kid nodded back as Bardock asked, “How do you know him?” Raditz put his hands on his hips as he listened to the young man talk, wondering the same.

“We were in the army together! Is he here? I bet he’s joined to competition, hasn’t he?” the young man smiled, “Not many of us heard about the opportunity in time, but Goku loved the army and he’s one hell of a fighter. I certainly don’t have the guts he does though.”

Bardock told him that Goku was indeed fighting and pointed to the stage he’s currently on. “Did you want to stay and say hello to him?”

“If I get the chance I will! I have an older brother,” he pointed to a different platform, “who is also competing. We’ll just have to see how it goes! I’ll text him either way! Nice talking to you!” and with that he ran off.

Raditz crossed his arms and huffed and thought about how widely spread the Saiyans that Goku knows must be by now. He hadn’t thought about the fact that other army brats might be in this competition and it seems his whole family does a good job of making a name for themselves. He turned his focus to the fights.

Goku was holding his own quite well on his plateau, but he was getting knocked around more than Raditz would have liked to see, but not more than he would have guessed. Still, he hadn’t fallen off, yet, and he certainly wasn’t giving up. Men and women alike seemed to be thrown off the platform at least twice a minute. The spectacle went on, and time seemed to fly.

The PA voice came over them again and explained that there were only 30 minutes remaining and that they would give a 5-minute warning. There had to be less than half of how many had started left, but that was still a good amount of Saiyans, and the fighters on the platforms amped it up tenfold, desperately trying to make their mark and secure their place. It was like watching a better visible rerun of what had gone on before, and each fighter was more resilient than the last.

Goku was not backing down, but he also wasn’t exactly giving it everything he had. By now, someone had busted his left eyebrow, and his legs were sore like hell from being kicked and his own quick maneuvers, but he knew better than to let it get to him. He eyed everyone who swung at him and reverted to defensive strikes more than offensive blows.

Internally he wondered when the announcers were going to give a five-minute mark, but it was difficult to tell how much time had passed while inside the arena. Time seemed to go by swiftly, but dully, all the same. Each throbbing in his body kept his mind present, but every fighter swarming around him kept his heart racing. This was wonderful to his young Saiyan body and mind; just what he’s been looking for- raw and real battle.

He took a few hits in turn, perhaps a few too many, and withdrew from fighting back as much as he could, but he knew the time was coming when he’d have to start going on the offensive. Honestly, he didn’t want to bring any attention to himself. If he could just make it to round 3 and then win that! -Then he would have a great victory! And an even better career! - But he was weary of the other fighters, and he assumed he was lucky so far to have been pinned against fighters with similar power levels as him, if not less experienced.

**“Five minutes left. I repeat, five minutes left.”**

_‘Yes!’_ Goku thought, and he began to count the men left in his group and use the knowledge of their skills, which he’d been studying for the past hour and 25 minutes, to exploit each of them one by one, and pick them off, as best he could, without being compromised.

He was able to pit several of them against each other and throw out several others. There were only two he got into an actual physical fight with, and barely won, before the time had been called. When everything was said and done, he was one of twenty-three fighters still standing in his ring. The announcers called for an hour-long break and demanded that those who had been defeated leave the premises immediately.

Goku was smiling to himself as he rejoined his brother and father on the floor. Before they could say anything to him he claimed that he needed to use the facilities before the final round for the day and headed in that direction. It would be 4 by the time they commenced again, and Goku didn’t want to waste what time he had left in lines if he could help it.

Raditz was confused by the happy-go-lucky attitude his little brother was sporting. In his eyes, the battle hadn’t been won so simply as Goku seemed to be playing it off.

For the third round, there are only 300 fighters, thirty fighters to each platform, and only 10 in each would proceed. The mediators took the men and inked them again, this time with a symbol at random, some diamonds, some squares, and so on. Goku got a star placed right below his number and was told to go to the platform which now held a flag above it, where the colored flag had been, but this time it had the symbol which represented the fighter’s placement. The fighters were told to step into the arena once more.

Bardock overheard his fellow spectators groaning about watching the same fight for the third time while others were making bets on who they thought would win on each stage when suddenly a forcefield shot up around the ring and formed a dome, enclosing the warriors.

Goku looked around in awe and listened carefully as the announcer spoke to them for the final round of the day.

**“Ki will be allowed in Round 3. I repeat, ki is allowed, but there are to be no kill shots. I repeat, no kill shots. The last 10 standing in each arena will gain the honor of becoming a member of the Saiyan army.”**

“Oh, no,” Raditz muttered, “This is bad.” Everyone present knew there was a possibility that someone could be killed, regardless of the formal warning against it.

**“Round 3 is about to begin.”** _DING!_

“Father!” Raditz turned to Bardock, “Tell Goku to concede. This is madness. Why would the Royal House allow for such a reckless battle? He needs to get out of there.”

Bardock eyed the fighters, who each stood back, a little more weary this time than they had been prior, and he replied, “I don’t think that any of them would want something to go wrong like that, Raditz, don’t worry.”

“But he’s been doing nothing but defending himself the whole time! And I think you’re wrong! I’ve seen men kill for less…”

Goku waited for someone to make the first move and so the battle began. This time, however, Goku made calculating strikes and took out two of his opponents within seconds. Someone reared up for a ki attack meant to take out at least 5 of the men closing in, but Goku diverted when it flew. Two more fell.

Raditz was a nervous wreck watching the scene before him. Already one platform was nearly cleared, a powerful Saiyan was taking out his objectives one by one and it would only be a matter of time before they stopped his onslaught in lieu of the others. He was basically winning for all ten of them. Meanwhile, three more platforms weren’t far behind. It seemed that quite a few of the Saiyans had been holding back until now. When Raditz’s eyes fell back onto Goku’s form, he was being attacked and was barely deflecting his opponents blow, not to mention the ki reverberations of other Saiyans fighting out their own temporary enemies.

Bardock smirked and put his hand on Raditz shoulder. “Don’t be so nervous, my son. He’s been in the army for ten years, hasn’t he? He knows how to handle himself.”

Goku was dripping with sweat, it was coming down his forehead and into his eyes. The heat from the ki locked inside the dome was scorching, and the floor was slick. Every time a punch made contact his fist slipped a little on the skin of his opponent, and he was finding it difficult to maintain good footing.

Still, his mind calculated the best way to proceed, and so he took to the air when a ki blast was sent his way and didn’t go back down. From there he let out several blasts, some meant to distract, some meant to hit, and then he went in for the attack on unsuspecting victims.

There were only thirteen fighters left in his ring now, himself included, and he came back down to the surface where they battled each other fiercely. He was losing, but he wouldn’t give up. He didn’t know if two of them decided to pair up to defeat him, or if it was only in his mind, but it seemed to him that they were going to take him out first and then face each other, while the others seemed preoccupied amongst themselves. After a few powerful blows were delivered, his two nemeses stood each on the opposite side of Kakarot and geared up quickly for a ki attack, which they swung wide- one left, one right. Goku went to dodge but he slipped, falling to the ground and hitting his head on the hard dome floor. Meanwhile, instead of the blasts hitting him, they went over him and directly to the opposing fighter. Someone else took out another opponent and then there were ten. Goku shook off his confusion as he went to sit up and wondered where his challengers next attacks were going to come from, but as he stood to his feet and surveyed his surroundings, he realized that it was, indeed, over. He and the other 9 had been told to halt their fight. They had made it past round 3.

The forcefield was released and each of the men left, including Goku, who stumbled down off the platform. He smiled to himself, panting, and gave his family a thumbs up before passing out. Raditz ran over to him and picked him up, and some paramedics came over and said there were recovery units in another building not far away.

When Goku awoke there were hundreds of Saiyans surrounding him, all getting medical attention. It took him a moment to remember what happened, but he smiled when he remembered and relaxed back down into the bed he’d been laid upon, falling back asleep.

“Good morning, idiot,” Raditz spoke as his little brother finally arose the next day.

“Hey…” Goku smiled, and sat up, feeling healed and refreshed but famished.

“Today’s Round 4…” Raditz said as he handed him some food, “But, maybe you should just… opt out of it. The army was your goal, anyways, and don’t go denying it wasn’t. We talked to a friend of yours who said you _loved_ the army. Besides, we both know you got lucky in there.”

Goku scratched the back of his head and laughed, but then began eating and thinking to himself. He asked, after a few moments, “Where am I? And who did you talk to?”

“We got you back to our room sometime last night. Figured it’d be best for you to rest in some peace and quiet, but not before we had you healed. As for the friend, he never gave us his name. Said he’d text you… You’re lucky, you know, only the victors got the opportunity to use senzu beans.”

“Nice,” he mumbled around his food, content for the moment, “Thanks.”

Raditz glared at his little brother but he let him eat as he chastised him, “Do you even know what those are? Probably not. They’re expensive! And they’re not just available to everyone! Didn’t you notice that you’re not the least bit sore? There weren’t enough Regeneration Tanks for everybody, so you got lucky! Anyways, _I_ insisted that you come back to our rooms, you were out like a light and they were going to let you sleep there like some bum. You’re welcome! This whole time we’ve been doing nothing but what you want to do. Some vacation. Sitting here watching you get your ass kicked. You’re not going to win you know.”

Goku just hummed happily as he scarfed his food down and listened to Raditz patronize him. Sure, he knew he’d been lucky, to some extent, but he had confidence in himself enough to not allow anyone else’s opinion to deter him from carrying on. Yes, he got what he wanted, but he saw no harm in continuing to run the race. Elevated rank? Why not at least try! If he lost, he lost, so what.

“Are you listening to me?!” Raditz growled. It was at that moment that Bardock came into the room and smirked at them both.

“Good to see you’re awake, and Rad, how kind of you to bring him breakfast,” he jested. Raditz remarked that he didn’t do it to be nice. Bardock knew better than to argue and draw the conversation on so he spoke to Goku and said, “You’ve got two hours before the fourth round begins. Who knows how they’re going to organize today’s events? Oh, and there’s a new location for today’s fights. It’s not too far from here. It’s part of the castle’s training grounds, actually.”

Goku nodded, still chowing down.

“What?!” Raditz growled.

“Say,” Bardock asked, “Raditz, could you help me with something?”

Raditz groaned but followed his father out of the room, nonetheless.

Goku finished up and got dressed quickly. He really did feel great. Those senzu things work well, whatever they are. Probably another thing from Earth by the way Raditz was talking about them. He headed to find his family again and they left to be as early as possible to the next proceedings.

By the time they got down to the new competition grounds they noticed immediately that the place had cleared out quite a bit compared to yesterday’s chaos. Only contestants, officials, castle men of high rank, and immediate family members were permitted inside the building. Goku was told to get in line with the rest of the thirty men and fill out some paperwork, officiating their new titles in the army- which Goku did with the most stupid grin his face could possibly make- and then the men gathered round to wait for further instruction.

An important looking Saiyan came up to a podium and spoke to the group and the public at large, and explained, “Congratulations, you’ve all gained a place in the Saiyan Army and should be very proud of yourselves. As I’m sure you’ve heard there is more to this competition though than simply that, and now I will go into greater detail. The victors of round 4 will be elevated in rank, if they are under that of Elite class, and they will have the opportunity to choose which branch of the Army they serve under, should they have an opinion on the matter. Now, for what I’m sure you’ve all been wondering… How many of you will have that opportunity?” The crowd waited in impatience and the man smiled, “Only 5 of you will be able to proceed to the fifth and final round.”

The thirty men and woman competing looked at one another and wondered how they were going to determine those 5 winners. The man continued, “At the end of todays round we will explain the details of tomorrow events. Now, I will pass the mic to todays supervisor.” With that, a woman came up onto the stage and they bowed to one another before passing the baton.

“Good morning!” She smiled, but there was something else to her eyes and the Saiyans listened acutely, “Today is going to be a two-part fight. First, we’re going to divide you into 10 groups of 3. There is someone coming around with a bowl right now with numbers in it. You will draw a number at random, and once drawn, you will find your two fellow matching numbers. They will be your opponent. You will fight until there is one victor among the 3 of you. Today’s fights will be held inside of the training grounds, where the men of the castle train! Lucky you! There are padded walls in these boxing arenas, as well as shock absorbency for any ki attacks, so you can fight at you’re best! Afterwards, there will only be ten fighters left in the competition! So, remember that you want to conserve some of your energy so that you can still win in the next part of round 4. Once the ten finalists are determined, you will fight one on one, again, against a randomly chosen opponent, and the 5 remaining at the end of the day will be the 5 lucky Saiyans to proceed to tomorrows finals! Once your number has been drawn you may enter the double doors to the training grounds. Inside there are ten rooms that will be available to you, each with the coordinating number to your group posted on the door. Proceed at your own risk. Sorry to friends and family but this fight will not be visible to you. Wish your family good luck, now. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, get your number and hurry to the training grounds.”

Goku got his number and went up to Raditz and his father before following the other Saiyans.

“You can still forfeit,” Raditz urged, arms crossed.

“No, I’d rather take my chances,” Goku smiled, “I’ll see you guys, soon!”

Bardock only nodded at him, and Goku didn’t need any verbal encouragement from him because he was comforted by the look in his eyes.

Raditz turned to his father after Goku had left and said, “Those training rooms can be daunting.”

Bardock remarked, “I’ve been in them before. I think they’re pretty nice, really. It’s considerate of the King to allow these men to use them.”

Raditz nodded but he found that he didn’t have anything else to say, so they waited.

Over an hour has passed and only two Saiyans had emerged the victor, the other four were hauled off. Everyone waiting was talking about how the fights must be fairing. Someone remarked that they’d be coming out quicker and quicker now that it had been so long. “No fool would waste their energy all on this one fight, anyways, like the lady said. You’ve got to play it smart.”

Raditz got distracted by some friends of his from within the castle and was swept up in conversation with them for some time. Although he spoke proudly of Goku, he secretly hoped his little brother would just lose this fight as to not have to worry about tomorrow’s competition.

No sooner did the thought cross his mind did the doors open again, but this time three men took their leave, followed by six more men, his little brother being one of them. Goku looked rough, and immediately headed towards Bardock, who ran to meet him. Raditz assumed by the order in which the men left that Goku had lost. He finished his conversation with his friends quickly before he bid them farewell for now and ran up to meet with Goku and hear what he was saying to their father.

“Those training rooms, their massive! It was such an incredible experience! I’ve never seen padded walls like that- the way the ki seemed to disappear- like magic!” Goku was saying.

Just as Raditz came up to them an official came up to Goku and had him take out another number from another bowl. Raditz gawked, shocked that he’s made it so far. “What happened in there?” he asked.

“Well,” Goku frowned, “It got serious.”

Raditz didn’t understand, that is, until he noticed two more men being carried away, no doubt to get to the regeneration tanks. Raditz turned back to his little brother, “How… When did you…?”

“I’m not stronger than them, really. I thought I was going to lose for sure… But… I don’t know, I just got a few lucky punches in I guess.”

Bardock could only smile, but he did not join in on their conversation.

The last of the men were exiting the training grounds as they spoke. The first half of round 4 was over.

The man who had spoken earlier stood afar and urged the ten remaining fighters to come forth and listen carefully. He explained that there would be an hour and a half break, where they could eat and use the facilities, and then they were to head inside of the castle gates, where they would be guided to where the rest of the day’s competition would be held.

Everyone was eager to keep going. Time flew by between then and now, and by the time they were walking into the castle gates, none of the men were disappointed in having had this opportunity. Goku gazed at the immensity of the castle itself, and distractedly looked at all the guards and all the servants and wondered what their lives must be like briefly before refocusing on the task at hand.

The ten men were lined up, no women had gotten this far, and they were told to reveal their numbers. It turned out that only “1”s and “2”s were pulled and the men looked confused. A mediator explained the plan, which was for each half to split up and fight 5 on 5, and they would again be fighting inside of one of the training rooms, this one being vaster than the others. When questioned about how they would determine which group would be the victor the Saiyan laughed and said, “It’s not that. It’ll be the last 5 standing.” The men gawked.

Bardock turned to Raditz and said, “Another interesting way of doing things, don’t you think?” Raditz asked him what he meant, and he answered, “They want to see, now, how the men fight as a team, and yet, only the strongest amongst them will proceed, regardless of the team itself. Seems to me that the King really thought this through.”

Raditz whispered to his father, “How is it that _you_ didn’t know about the details? Don’t you sit on the King’s council?”

Bardock laughed, “This is hardly the type of topics we discuss. Strategy or not, it’s not war.”

Raditz looked at his father strangely but dropped the topic. Goku came up to them and smiled, bidding them farewell for now. Raditz wished him good luck and Bardock told him not to hold back, and with those words in his head, he left.

“Some competition!” Raditz frowned as he watched his little brother go off to his defeat, “We can’t even see the fights!”

Bardock mused, “Perhaps we weren’t mean to, perhaps they’re meant for someone else to see. Come, let’s go for a walk.”

Raditz followed as his father began to move away from the group of Saiyans they’ve become so familiar with over the course of the last two days. Once they were a good distance away from them, which wasn’t suspicious to any of the castle men since they both worked at the castle regularly, Raditz said, “I think you’re right. There are cameras inside all the training rooms, it’s normal, and mostly common knowledge… But… you really think they’re being judged by the Royals?”

“I’m certain that they are,” Bardock nodded and scratched his chin in thought, “We’re talking about bodyguards for the Prince… or maybe… maybe that’s just what they’re saying this is about… You, yourself said you didn’t understand why they would want another guard for a man who doesn’t need one. What I want to know is how many of them will actually end up being a part of the Royal Guard. 2? 3? 1? It’s strange… They’ve just been telling us information on a need to know basis, and they’ve asked everyone who lost to leave, and anyone who isn’t family has been kicked out as well. I don’t necessarily think this competition is about who is the strongest. It’s about who is the most well rounded and who can follow rules.”

Raditz heard him perfectly, but he didn’t add to his theories. It didn’t take long for some friends of Raditz’s to spot them, Guril and Noma, and they came running up to them, feeling secure since they are fairly familiar with Bardock as well. They asked them why they are back from vacation so soon.

Raditz smirked and replied, “We’re still on vacation, but my younger brother insisted on participating in the competition,” he gestured back to the training facilities.

“Oh,” Guril responded, “I forgot that was going on, I’ve been so busy! How’s he doing in it?”

“Very well,” Bardock smiled at her.

“Good!” Noma smiled, “I hope he wins! Don’t the winners get to stay at the castle? Then we can have all three of you here! I’ve been dying to meet him.”

Guril rolled her eyes at her friend and said, “You’re too old for him, you know.”

Noma growled at her friend but ignored the comment, and turned her attention to other matters as she asked Raditz, “How’s Minala?”

“Minala!” Bardock interrupted before his eldest could answer, and he smoothly hinted, using his charms, “Raditz has been hiding her from me!”

Females love the sweeter topics of matrimony and children, and the women fussed exceedingly, whipped out their phones, and claimed they’d make suitable arrangements at once. Raditz protested but there was no use. Minala responded to their messages quickly and a date was set for Bardock to meet her 3 days from now, and two seconds later Raditz got a text from her complaining that he didn’t tell her he was back in town. Raditz threated his friends with their good health and their acquaintanceship but the women simply laughed and told Bardock not to worry about thanking them.

The group was forced to split up shortly after their plans were finalized, as both women needed to get back to work, and Raditz and Bardock had something else to occupy their thoughts as they waited, but their minds still bent towards Goku more than anything else, so they turned to rejoin the other families waiting for their beloveds to come out of the training room.

When they arrived back on the scene, the saw that already 3 of the 10 men had been forced to concede, and Goku was not one of them.

“How in the hell is he fairing so well?” Raditz wondered aloud.

Bardock guessed, “I have two theories, if you care to hear them?”

Raditz remarked, “By all means, I’m all ears.”

“Well, firstly, neither of us have seen him fight for ten years now, sure we can tell that he’s stronger every time we visit, but we don’t know how much he’s truly grown in capabilities, and second, we never bothered to find out the status of the men fighting. Perhaps there are no first class or Elites who entered this thing, after all. I mean, why would they? What are you so upset about, anyways? You must not want him at the castle…”

Raditz shifted his weight from left to right, crossed his arms, and huffed as he decided how to answer. “Now that you mention it…” he mumbled, looking around discreetly to see if anyone was listening, “It’s not that I don’t think he… or… I… Well…”

Bardock smirked and said, “It’s a commitment, that’s for sure. Once you’re in, you’re in for life. You thought with the draft he’d at least have a chance to live a normal life afterwards. But… What is normal? I had to learn a long time ago it isn’t about what I want, and sometimes the things that happen may not be what you want at the time, but they’re for the best in the long run.” He slapped his son on the back sportingly and added, “Are you going to be so protective of your own child, Raditz?”

“Why do you think I…” Raditz fumbled with his words, trying to be careful in case someone was listening. The last thing he needed was for it to get back to the King that he wasn’t happy with his lot, or to get back to Minala that he wasn’t ready for a baby, neither of those things were true, necessarily.

“Waited to have one?”

“Yeah,” he sighed.

“Sometimes life makes those decisions for you, and you just have to do the best with what you get. If this ends up being more than Goku can chew, he’ll just have to learn how to take smaller bites in the future,” Bardock snickered, laughing at his own dad joke.

Raditz rolled his eyes and pursed his lips in annoyance. “Maybe,” he thought, “Maybe I really do still see him as a kid. He’s almost 30, damn, and I guess… I guess I’m freaking out a little. I have to keep a Saiyan _alive_ for fuck’s sakes. It’s terrifying,” he glanced around quickly, “But wonderful at the same time.”

Bardock chuckled, his canines gleaming, and the scar on his left cheek lifted at his broad smile.

Then there was a loud **BOOM** that came from inside the training chambers and the tremor of it could be felt at their feet. Everyone sitting around stood up quickly, and clamor arose amongst them. Not ten seconds later a group of castle officials came barging through and they rushed inside of the room. Only one man exited the training rooms on his own, and it was not Goku.

Saiyans gathered around and began yelling for answers.

“Raditz, do you see him?” Bardock asked, staying back, but lifting to his toes to try and look over the commotion.

“No-Yes! He’s being carried away with the others… he’s fine, I think. Wait! I saw him open his eyes! Now they’re closed- Let’s go after them!”

“No,” Bardock grabbed his shoulder, “Let them do their job, we will find him later. He won’t heal any quicker with us tailing them the whole way. Let’s try and find out what happened here.”

Commotion carried on and rose in noise level by the minute. Some of the families rushed off to see that their loved one was well taken care of, but some stayed and waited, some patiently, some very, very impatiently. Men and women from the castle even stopped and stood by to try and find out what happened, and so the crowd grew.

Officials hurried in and tried to hush the group, but it was to no avail. When asked if they knew what was going on, they replied in the negative, and the people grew more and more restless. Finally, another man came to speak to the gathering, but this time, everyone grew quiet at once, recognizing him without the need for him to be introduced.

His voice was irritating to hear, it grated the ears, but his power was unquestionable, and they listened intently as he spoke as though he was still swallowing the gravel he ate for lunch.

“I am General Nappa,” he said, like they didn’t already know that, and he explained, “The fights inside were being monitored. Although only one man exited of his own accord, out of the five left, only four were determined worthy of proceeding to round 5. I will now name the 5 winners. Afterwards, anyone, and their families, who are no longer a part of these preliminaries must leave the premises immediately. Ren, Beron…”

Parts of the crowd roared, although they already knew Beron had survived this far, for he was the one who had left after the boom, standing on his own two feet, it was still exciting to hear it confirmed.

Raditz’s heart pounded as he heard the next three names called, and he look around and noticed that some of the families were crying tears of joy and some were in scorn. There was a fifty-fifty chance that’s his brother’s name would be called.

“And finally,” Nappa spoke, dragging this out, “the finalist in contention… Son, Kakarot.” Only then did they realize that Nappa was getting information through his scouter on whose names to call.

Someone else came up to speak, Nappa was saluted and then he went away, and the new man tried to hush the crowd, but there was a hodgepodge of joy and outrage, and Raditz was much too much in shock to hear any of it.

“My son!” Bardock yipped and pumped his fist in the air, “Let’s go find him! Hurry!”

No sooner had they left did an outbreak occur amongst the remaining finalists’ families. It was taken care of swiftly enough, but Bardock was grateful to have not been involved.

“That lucky fucker,” Raditz whispered as they made their way to the recovery chambers, “Impossible!”

“Now, now!” Bardock grinned, “We’ll just have to wait until he wakes up to ask him what happened.”

They walked swiftly, asking guards which way the men were taken, and since they were so well known and the guards were well informed, they were guided easily enough. By the time they arrived, Goku was already linked up to a Regeneration Tank and well on his way to recovery. This time he was in his own pod, in his own room.

Raditz paced for some time before the two of them decided it would be best to get something to eat and come back later. Bardock wondered what his problem was, but he didn’t get to find out until they sat down to an early dinner at a restaurant just outside of the castle’s limits. At least there they could speak openly, for the most part, and be close enough to hurry back if Goku’s condition changed or if anything new came up.

Raditz grumbled again about his ‘lack of vacation’ and remarked, “I’m spending money going out to eat at places I already eat at! Stupid!”

“All the more reason to look forward to going to that fancy place when I finally get to meet Minala. What’s it called again…?”

“Ugh, don’t remind me! You’re trying to kill me before I get to raise my child!” Raditz growled.

Bardock ordered two beers and two shots and demanded that Raditz loosen up. After taking the shots and practically downing the beers Raditz sighed and leaned back in his seat.

“Care to tell me what’s really bothering you?”

“No,” Raditz glared, but Bardock’s quizzical brow proved to be more persuasive and he exclaimed, “Look, I didn’t want to mention it before, and I don’t know how you basically all but figured it out, but this isn’t just about giving the Prince a new bodyguard…” Raditz hunched in closer and spoke lowly, “This is just a rumor, but I heard that the Prince is looking for a… uh… a companion to go with him to Earth…in addition to his regular crew.”

Bardock stared at his son blankly.

“I don’t know,” Raditz continued, “All I know is that there was talk of it, and for some reason the King agreed that it would be a good idea. So, when the Prince goes, which may in fact be very soon, he must take some men with him, for status purposes I presume, and I believe that it has less to do with protection and more to do with…”

“Humility?” Bardock offered.

Raditz nodded and eased back into his chair, “I believe so. It’s my understanding that the King doesn’t want the people of Earth completely freaking out and bringing a mix of some upper and some lower classmen might make a little bit of a difference in the eyes of the humans.”

Bardock mused, “Because our third-class people are less daunting than the arrogance of our Elites. Never mind the fact that _one_ of our _infants_ could destroy them all.” He couldn’t help but laugh a little bit.

“Yes,” Raditz nodded, “But I don’t know anything more.”

“I see…” Bardock replied, “That’s why you didn’t want him to win. He’ll be sent to Earth, and he doesn’t much like the people there as it is.”

“Not only that,” Raditz smiled, seeing the humor in the situation, “He’ll be forced to spend his time at the Prince’s beck and call, even I don’t have to do that, and I’ve known him all of his life.”

Bardock shrugged, and was thoughtful as he mentioned, “I’ve met him on occasion. He’s certainly is a handsome man, pensive and intelligent. Although I’ve heard the rumors… I don’t think he’s so bad, do you? You know him far better than I do.”

“No, no I don’t think he’s _bad_ ,” Raditz answered, “Not at heart, but he is Royalty, and he is… rough around the edges, and Goku is a free spirit and too stubborn for his own good. It seems like a good idea on paper, but I’m not so sure.”

Bardock’s eyes gleamed and he replied, “Well, no need to fret about it! We still have tomorrows fights! Besides! Maybe this whole thing will backfire, and giving a third-class the chance to join the second and to travel around with the Prince of Saiyans will only serve to make them _more_ pompous than our Elites, and then the Earth will despise us even more for our intrusion at the senselessness of our planets ‘finest’.”

“You don’t think they already dislike us?” Raditz snorted, “I’m willing to bet they’re no more excited about this event that his Highness himself, and I can guarantee that Prince Vegeta is _wroth_ with the very idea of it!”

“Do you spend much time with his Highness, anymore?” Bardock questioned innocently as he took a drink.

“I do,” Raditz nodded, “But it’s never work related. I only ever see him in our downtime… and he’s always… preoccupied with something.”

“Or someone?”

“Multiple ‘someones’,” Raditz smirked.

Bardock chuckled and said he could have guessed as much, and Raditz felt more at ease for at least having talked about the possibilities with him, as faint as the chances seemed of it becoming a reality.

Bardock remarked, “You know, I’m thinking that maybe the King really wants his son to bring someone along that he’s not familiar with so that _he_ behaves, and not to appease the Earthlings at all.”

Raditz groaned and said, “Who knows?!” declaring the conversation to be over just as the server came by to take their order.


	4. 4

CHAPTER 4

The next day came and Goku woke up early in the morning to the sound of the draining of the regeneration tank. It took him a moment to realize where he was, and even then, he was still unsure of his surroundings, but he did take a minute to notice that his phone was there, as well as a long letter placed on top of some clothes generously donated to him. In it were some details of the upcoming battle that would take place later in the day.

It congratulated him on becoming second-class, explained that he would fight in the garments given to him, and that he would be required to meet the rest of the fighters at nine in the morning in the arena marked for the contest, and that any questions he had could be forwarded to the guards. It urged him to use the facilities conveniently located in the recovery room, and to freshen up before exiting the chambers.

He showered and brushed his teeth with the complimentary items as suggested, did his business and dried off, and as he dressed he wondered at the nice feel of the training uniform, and the colors of it, deep red and black, and how it fit so perfectly, and he couldn’t help but wonder where his family had gone, but he was up much too early to go and find them. He checked his phone and saw that there were messages from Raditz, but it was 3:45 in the morning, so he ignored them for now, but didn’t know what to do with himself. Two things he did know: he’s hungry, and he simply isn’t tired.

Once he quit the room, he noticed how dark it is, but figured he should have guessed, the sun wasn’t even up. He saw a guard nearby keeping watch and wondered about that before going up to him. He admitted that he was hungry to the man, and the man told him where he could go to find something to eat, which he was very thankful for, and he took off in the direction that he was told, but somewhere along the way he got lost but not bored.

The halls were barely lit, there were only lights guiding his footsteps, and glowing on the art. He stared at the paintings on the wall as he walked and noticed some of the intricate details of the halls and how the shadows played with the artistry upon them, and before he knew it, he was following his eyes instead of his head, and became very lost and even hungrier.

He kept going, sniffing the air every once in a while, to see if he might be able to smell any food from wherever he was, but he was having no luck. It seemed to him that he’s no longer in the main bulk of the castle, seeing as how he hasn’t seen another guard in some time, but his mind couldn’t help but be preoccupied as he stares up at the artwork. His stomach growled and he was mumbling to himself about how big the castle is when he thought he heard something. He turned to see what it was, but before he knew what hit him, he was knocked out cold.

When he awoke for the second time this morning he grabbed onto the back of his head and cursed in pain, sitting up quickly as he squeezed his eyes shut.

“And you’re supposed to be one of the five finalists, hm?” A rough but intriguing voice said quietly, “A possible bodyguard?!” the man laughed, “Who are they letting inside of these ancient walls, nowadays?!”

When Goku opened his eyes to argue, or introduce himself, or something, he was stunned into silence, and stood to his feet quickly, only to kneel on one knee, “Your Highness!” he said, crossing his right arm over his chest. His heart pounded.

“Hm,” Prince Vegeta grunted, encircling him, “On your feet,” he commanded and Goku did as he was told and followed the Prince with his eyes. “Well, tell me your name at once! And explain what you’re doing wandering these halls at such an hour!”

“Son, Kakarot, er, I was…” he stammered, “looking for food.” He smiled a little at how silly his confession sounded even to his own ears.

When the Prince got back to standing in front of him he stopped prowling and Goku was surprised by how tall he stood regardless of his shorter stature, and he took in the vision of him unabashed but the more the Prince stared back at him the more he felt a little self-conscious under his smize. The Prince only glared at him, and his thoughts flickered behind his eyes, although he remained unnervingly silent.

In Goku’s apprehension he asked, “How did you know that I’m a contestant?”

A flash went through the royal’s face, but he wasn’t so quick to respond. After looking him up and down he lifted his chin and growled out his words heatedly, “You’re in uniform, are you not? And those clothes were given to you, yes? And the markings on your hand, I don’t suppose you drew them yourself?!”

Goku smiled feeling foolish for asking and he might have flinched at how serious he is, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from Vegeta’s burning ones, and he couldn’t seem to drop his fascination at meeting him face to face. He’s so prideful and keen and more handsome in person than any of the videos Goku has ever seen and he’s here, right in front of him, speaking to him.

Vegeta barked, unaware of Goku’s thoughts, “If you’re looking for food, you’re in the wrong part of the castle! And I suggest you learn your place _in_ the castle if you have any intentions of winning today!”

“What do you mean?” Goku wondered.

The prince backhanded him, and although it was a surprise, it was not hard enough to really hurt. Goku was stunned but also strangely _inspired_ and as his gaze fell back onto Vegeta’s, he couldn’t help the challenge that it held.

Vegeta perceived his attitude and smirked at him. This time when he spoke, he was much quieter, but his accented voice was still firm and meaningful, and he said, quirking a brow in condescendence, “I doubt you’ll win anyways, _Kakarot_ , so I won’t bother explaining it to you.” With that he pulled out his phone and began typing in something quickly.

Goku licked his lips and thought for a moment about whether to reply or not, but he figured he’d take his chances, and so he asked, while the Prince was distracted, “You’re up pretty early, aren’t you, your Highness?”

The Prince put away his phone promptly and eyed Goku, and he began to circle him again as he answered slowly, “This is my home, isn’t it? Who are you, a _guest_ , to judge what I do in my home?” and as he came back around to the front of him, he noticed that Goku was smiling at him. He smirked back and so they held their position, even for a few long moments.

Goku was just about to say something, anything, and he opened his mouth to do so, but Vegeta looked over his shoulder and finally spoke again, stating, “I found him wandering around, looking for something…” he looked back at Goku, “To eat,” he mocked. A guard came up from behind Goku and grabbed him by the arm. He had been so quiet! Or Goku had simply been consumed with Vegeta.

“Sire!” the guard answered.

Vegeta replied, never taking his eyes off Goku’s, “See to it that he gets his breakfast…” He turned to the side to leave as he added, “And even better directions to the contest arena!” The guard bowed and confirmed, and with that Vegeta stepped swiftly, and his cape flicked behind him and swayed as he walked away, and he never looked back. Goku would know, because even though the guard practically dragged him away by his arm in the opposite direction, he looked back only to watch Vegeta disappear into the vast but dimly lit halls.

Goku found something to eat successfully this time and enjoyed his breakfast in privacy, since very few Saiyans were awake and about in the castle at this time. He checked the messages from his brother, which, among other comments, explained that he and their father planned to meet him at the castle at 7:30. Apparently they didn’t know when Goku would be fully recovered, and he wasn’t the only contestant to stay in a regeneration tank overnight, so they figured it best to let him rest while he could.

After eating, he found that it was still early, so he asked a guard if there was a place where he could take a nap. The woman looked at him for a moment before suggesting the gardens, to which Goku happily asked the way. He found them easily enough, set an alarm on his phone, and slept peacefully for an hour at the base of a statue while the sun began to rise. Once he awoke for the third time this morning, he decided to do some light stretches and a brief workout, and noticed that he’s gotten stronger during this competition, and with that he turned his thoughts to the day ahead of him.

He couldn’t deny that he thought of the Prince often throughout this time, in fact, he thought of him much more often than he meant to, and while meditating about how he was going to handle today’s fights, he felt a renewed vigor swell within him and determined that he truly did _want_ to win. Before he only thought of the army, everything else was just a plus, for fun, even, but something about the way the Prince taunted him made him want to prove him wrong. He took it personally. He couldn’t say why.

What **was** he doing up so early?

Goku tried to focus. He tried to clear his thoughts. He tried to imagine everything he’s learned over the last two days about his fellow contestants, as he’s been watching them all closely, and he tried to keep his mind open to all possibilities and will himself into a calm. It worked for the most part, but he still couldn’t keep thoughts of the Prince from popping into his head.

Finally, the time came that he was supposed to meet his family, and luckily for him they had found out the night before where to go and Raditz gave him good directions (on top of the guards directions from earlier) when he messaged Goku to tell them they were on the way. Goku found the arena quickly, which was outside this time, and he only waited for ten minutes before they found him. Already the place was filling up. Apparently, this fight was going to be a spectacle, as many of the men and women from the castle were taking their seats in the stands and making bets on how the fights would fare based on previous information that they found on each of the lucky contestants.

Goku could only smile at his brother and his father. He thanked them again for joining him and he told them that he was satisfied regardless of how the fights turned out. Raditz seemed a bit relieved but Bardock only stared at his son in silence, and Goku couldn’t help but think for a moment that he was suspicious of his well-spoken lie.

“I can’t stand it any longer, Goku!” Raditz snipped, “What happened in yesterday’s fights? Are you really going to go through with this?”

Goku laughed and said, “Of course! As for yesterday? Everything was going pretty good until that one guy decided to try and end it all with one big blow. Not exactly how I thought we were supposed to be fighting but I guess he did a good job of securing his place.”

“What do you mean?” his brother asked.

“Well,” Goku fumbled for words, not sure he should say, but he resumed a little quieter, “He went in for a death blow. I had to knock one of the other fighters out of the way. He almost killed him…”

Before Raditz could respond a few of the men from the castle came to him and requested his presence elsewhere. Raditz nodded and bid his brother good luck with some annoyance at not being able to continue the conversation and being summoned during his time off. Bardock dropped the topic all together and suggested that Goku go find out what he needed to be doing. He left and didn’t come back.

Time elapsed quickly after that, or maybe it didn’t. Maybe it was just all the anxiety of the events that seemed to guide every moment, and before long, it was almost time to begin. Bardock found a seat amongst the many spectators next to some colleagues and they all debated what the plans were for today, but no one knew anything more than anyone else.

This was the closest to a martial arts tournament any of them had seen in years and the crowd was antsy, especially considering that the viewers were mostly from the castle itself, now, and everyone else was directly related to the 5 contestants involved.

An official looking woman stepped up onto the large square platform and the crowd roared in its impatience. She said, “Welcome to the Castle’s Tournament! Congratulations to all five contestants! Let’s introduce them now, shall we?!”

The crowd screamed and stood to their feet.

She introduced all five men and had them stand in a single row. They all wore matching garments, comfortable looking fighting clothes, which represented the colors of the Royals, hinting at the possibilities of the finalist’s win here today. Goku waved at the people watching and covered his eyes as he tried to spot Bardock and Raditz. Eventually he saw his father and gave him a thumbs up while he briefly wondered where Raditz has gone. Bardock smirked and nodded back at him while his colleagues all noted that it was nice to finally see his youngest in person. The rest of the men on the platform looked more serious, or less silly, than Goku.

Then the woman was joined by another official who told to crowd to quiet down. “I have the pleasure of announcing the entrance of the very curator of this event. Prince Vegeta!”

Everyone was stunned but they all screamed and fawned in delight at his entrance. He came casually, surrounded by several high-ranking officials, and when Goku turned to see him, this time in the light of day, he was immediately distracted out of staring at him when he noticed to his surprise that his brother was amongst the men escorting the Prince. All the people there, including the 5 men in contest, were spurred into questions and comments. When the Prince approached the throne that hardly any had noticed before, he held up his hand and everyone went silent and bowed, including his own guards. When he took his seat, the female announcer introduced the Prince’s younger brother, Prince Tarble, who joined his brother, followed by his own guards as well as some relatives and friends, and he received the same enthusiasm and respect, before taking his seat. The brothers shared something in confidence as the announcers went on to explain the proceedings for the day.

“What a magnificent turn out we have gotten! And on such short notice! We’re so pleased that everyone could be here today and now we have a special announcement to make,” the man said.

The woman added, “Let’s get right to it. There is one man who has been granted the chance to sit out the first round. Ren, Beron!”

The crowd gawked and cried, and Beron pumped his fists in having a spot secured for now.

She yelled over them with the microphone, “He showed the most skill and power out of the others and is exempt from the initial battle.”

The man continued, as someone ran onto the stage with a bowl with more numbers and held it out to other four contestants. “These men will now draw their numbers and the two matching numbered contestants will battle each other in order to produce the 3 finalists in our competition.”

“But there will be only 1 winner, today...” she cried, and the crowd went wild again.

The men on the stage found out who their opponents would be, and the “1”s were to go before the “2”s. Goku was a 1 and wished his opponent good luck while the announcers carried on. His opponent eyed him queerly before he sneered at him.

“… And that man will become part of Prince Vegeta’s personal guards!”

The crowd couldn’t be silenced and Prince Tarble could be seen leaning over to say something to his brother, but he covered his mouth with his hand so no one would know what was said. Prince Vegeta didn’t bother to respond and he looked more bored and annoyed than anything, although the family and friends surrounding the Royals seemed eager to begin.

The male announcer explained, “After we have our 3 finalists, we will explain the rest of today’s competition. Now, who drew to go first?”

Goku and his opponent stepped forward and the other three fighters were told to step down. The two of them were introduced to the crowd a second time and given an optional 5 minutes to prepare for their fight to begin, but Goku’s opponent declined and Goku nodded in agreement, much to the spectator’s approval.

The announcers explained that no flying or ki was allowed and called for a time of one hour before judges would call the fight. The contestants agreed and with that the time was told and the fight was on.

Goku ignored the crowd and focused on his opponent as he waited for the other man to attack. It didn’t take long, the other Saiyan rushed him and as Goku dodged, he took a swipe at him. The man averted his hit, but he made no attempt to strike him back.

Goku allowed the fight to go on in this way for some time, but not much time was needed. One swift hit to the side of his neck and his opponent was knocked out cold. He must have been a second class, but he was certainly never in the army. He was powerful, but he lacked any true training.

The onlookers were thrilled with this round and chanted the young Saiyan’s name but Goku only bowed to the crowd and then to the Royals before he helped his opponent back up once he started to rouse.

The second round took longer, but a victor was found within the hour timeline allotted.

The announcers came up and congratulated the 3 remaining fighters before they explained how the last of the rounds would go. Goku stole a glance he couldn’t help but take in the Princes’ direction, but Prince Vegeta wasn’t looking, and Goku was grateful.

“Now’s the time we’ve all been waiting for!” the male announcer stirred the crowd on a little bit more, with a smirk and great enthusiasm.

The woman added, “Each fighter will face one another in an all-out battle of 3 on 3!”

The man said, above the roar of the onlookers, “The same rules as before still apply. No flying. No ki. There’s a one-hour limit before our judges call the fight and the contestant to either win or have the best score card will be called the victor!”

The men got ready to fight.

Just then the Prince demanded to speak to the announcers, and they ran to him as quickly as they could. A few minutes later they were finally done convening and when they came back to the platform, they noted that there has been a change in plans, as requested by His Highness. They told everyone that Prince Vegeta was more interested in seeing the individual’s skills against an opponent they weren’t familiar with and so he proposed that they fight against Commanders from the Saiyan Army. The crowd wholly approved of the change in plans. The announcers turned to ask Prince Vegeta who he had in mind to fight, and he smirked as he called upon the names of six of the guards that he had brought along with him today and he told them to enter the arena.

Goku’s jaw dropped and he couldn’t help but stare at his brother in awe as he came up onto the platform, business written all over his face.

“Well, well! This is exciting, isn’t it?!” the woman hollered.

The contestants grew nervous as they gauged the looks of their new opponents, and they wondered what else the Prince had in mind for narrowing the fights down to just one.

The announcers continued to kill time with their commentating, while Tarble was speaking with his brother and another servant for a few moments before the servant went to the stage to explain what the Royals had in mind. They told the crowd that it would be a 2 against one, with the same rules as before. If there were two contestants in question, then they could battle it out between themselves. Otherwise, the last man standing will win.

Not explained to the crowd is the fact that Prince Vegeta was not looking to make the fights easy on the contestants in any way. In fact, he did research on all the potentials and found 10 men in his castle that had relationships with the five remaining fighters. So, the six Commanders that he summoned to fight now had some sort of a relationship to one of the fighters on the stage, and he planned to pit them against one another accordingly. This would show the ruthlessness of the leaders of the Saiyan Army, as well as the truest desire of the competitors in question.

His plan was to have 2 men against one, the more controversy the better, and he picked the fighters themselves. In his mind, if any of the men could proceed longer than 45 minutes, they will have done well for themselves, but he doubted it.

The picks were called and only when one of Goku’s opponents called out the name of his kin did Goku realize he wasn’t the only one nervous about this next round. The three men drew straws to see who would go first and Beron got the shorter stick.

Goku jumped off the arena and watched eagerly, with much on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured out the formatting, finally, thank goodness, and just in time. I'm posting kind of fast. It will slow down, but I'm having a hard time with... getting the ball rolling, IMO, and I need to get it out there so I can mentally move forward.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Enjoy!


	5. 5

CHAPTER 5

Beron held his own for the whole hour, and then the fight was called, and he was allowed to move on, impressing many of the viewers present. It became clear that he couldn’t be counted out and they all understood why such a fighter had come so far in the tournament.

The next round was picked, and it was Goku’s turn. He fought hard, but not easily, up against his brother and another Commander, who, upon a brief exchange of words, expressed that he was pissed off at him for defeating his nephew in the previous rounds and that he planned to take it out on him in his honor. Raditz said nothing and looked upon him as though he was nothing more than a punching bag.

Goku poured his heart into his fight and held on with every moment, refusing to go down or give up. Just as the young third-class was beginning to become desperate, the time was called, ending the struggle, and he was allowed to continue in the tournament. 

The third round of fights came and went much faster. The man who had called out the name of his kin earlier could not last against him or the other opponent, and with that, it was now narrowed down to Goku and Beron, and neither man had gotten an opportunity to recover.

The crowd grew restless as the announcers began to explain the third and final round, not wasting any time.

“Let’s change up the rules a bit and try for a different style of fighting, hm?!” The man spoke to each of the contestants as they stood facing one another in the middle of the ring. 

The answer from the onlookers was undeniable as their volume rose. It’s clear they desired to watch a one on one battle and they hollered either “Goku” or “Beron” over one another and it seemed their cheers would never cease. The woman, who had left upon the end of the second round, came back up onto the stage and waved two large swords around at the spectators. They hollered in approval. She came up to the men standing in the middle and began to set the fighter’s parameters with the two long knives, which she stuck into the ground at an angle in a four-foot distance one from the other. 

The man explained, “You will each remove your boots and place one of your heels against the blunt edge of the blade, where your foot cannot move. If it does, whether by your loss of balance or by force from your opponent, you lose. You will exchange blows, no cheap shots, until there is a victor between you. Do you understand?” They nodded.

“Are you ready?” 

The crowd stood to their feet in anticipation while both men took off their shoes and got into stance, bracing their free leg to the best of their abilities.

“…FIGHT!” The woman cried.

Beron strong armed Goku right off the rip and Goku grit his teeth as he mustered as much strength as he needed and then some. There were a lot of ways to win this fight without causing any true damage to his opponent, but he knew that all of those ways to win were also possible ways to lose, and he didn’t want to give this man any leeway, but he was tired, and Beron was ruthless and he was checking to see how much strength Goku had left.

Goku headbutt him without thinking twice about it, and it was enough to cause Beron to back off for a few moments. The crowd went wild.

Beron came back though, more brutal than before, and made a low blow to Goku’s gut, and then an uppercut to his jaw, before he tried to throw him off balance, but Goku more or less saw it all coming and tried to counter by swaying with each of his punches unnecessarily. 

Then their fists flew mercilessly. Blood flew from their mouths and sweat dripped down the sides of their faces. Beron was taller and broader than Goku, and Goku was feeling the pressure of the knife against the back of his foot begin to distract him, but he deduced that Beron couldn’t be fairing much better than he. 

Beron continued his onslaught and it was everything Goku could do to get a strike in where he could and hold on to his stance. Then he got an idea, and before he had time to wonder if it would work, Beron landed a square hit in his jaw with so much force it caused his free leg to pivot, and his balance to be a little off. Beron grinned and went in for another strong-arm attempt and Goku held on with everything that he had and tried his best to push back.

The announcers, who had been commentating this whole time, began to make assessments that the fight was almost over.

Beron taunted Goku, telling him to give in, and Goku grit his teeth but smirked back nonetheless and nodded, more to himself than to his opponent, but it was enough to confuse him for a moment. Beron let go of the strong hold with thoughts of sending a final hit but Goku let his body buckle under and he knelt at once, causing Beron’s larger body to fall forward when he struck at nothing. Goku grabbed onto Beron’s waist at the last moment and was able to hoist him up and over his head, causing him to flip and land on his back behind him.

The crowd was stunned, and the announcers were nearly silenced, but they found their voices and cried out, “Kakarot ‘Goku’ Son… has won it all!!”

Goku took his sore foot off of the knife and turned to face Beron to help him but, but Beron was pissed and he jumped up on his own and began to fight Goku in normal hand to hand combat, without the restraints of the stakes at their feet. The announcers called for the fight to stop, but the two men battled on. The man and woman mediating then turned to the Princes to intervene, but neither of them seemed interested in keeping the fight from continuing, so the battle raged on with Goku, again, only being able to defend himself.

Beron growled out to Goku that it wasn’t over, and that he refused to go out like that, and to a third-class, upgraded to second-class or not. Goku was exhausted but his fighting wit held up and he couldn’t deny his opponent, although he tried to talk him out of it. 

The two men went blow for blow, causing the cheers of the masses to grow in intensity minute after minute, but it was becoming apparent that this couldn’t go on forever. The crowd could sense the gravitational emotions of the two contestants and wondered how the fight would end.

By this time Goku was practically running away from the vehement man, trying to calm him down, but Beron wasn’t listening. They exchanged several more blows, and Goku’s mind was whirring on about how best to take him out before something bad happened, but he couldn’t seem to overcome him. 

Beron, in a momentary lapse of judgement, fired out several ki blasts attempting to hit Goku as he jumped away and dodged. The crowd screamed in horror, and the Princes’ guards all ran to deflect the blasts as quickly as they could. Goku, afraid and angered by the damage he may have done, turned to see where the blasts had hit, and upon his assessment that no one was seriously hurt, he looked back to Beron with renewed vigor and a seriousness in his eyes noticed by many. But Beron was quick and he flew up and punched him hard, using his inertia and knocking him a few yards away, causing Goku to bump and skid across the arena, where he landed next to the knives that had been set out to mark their initial fight.

The announcers, annoyed and nervous, called for the fight to end again, since Beron was disqualified by now, even though it seems he has successfully taken Goku out.

He wasn’t listening, and Prince Vegeta hasn’t called for his guards to get involved yet, so the two speakers remained on the sidelines, and the onlookers grew weary. 

Goku wasn’t moving. Beron approached him slowly and once he got close enough to the younger fighter, he began to reach down to grab him. In that moment Goku rolled and grasped one of the swords that was lodged into the ground. He pushed himself up, dodging Beron once more, removing the weapon from its place, and then he spun his leg out, kicking Beron’s feet out from beneath him. He fell swiftly to the ground and tried to roll over to defend himself, but Goku held the edge of the blade at his neck with fire in his eyes, and Beron was forced to forfeit. Everyone was shocked momentarily, but then leapt to their feet with cries of praise spouting from their lips. 

Prince Tarble stood to his feet and clapped at the show and Prince Vegeta nodded for his soldiers to go and retrieve Beron from the stage. The astonished announcers resumed their jobs in naming Goku the winner and then went to go and speak with him, but they got no word from him. Within seconds of their placing the microphone in front of his face Goku had dropped the sword and fallen to his knees and then he collapsed altogether and was out cold.

Raditz wished to run to his brother’s aid, but he couldn’t afford to be seen as weak in front of so many people, and thankfully, another guard got to him quickly and carried him off to be healed.

Beron and the other fighters were dismissed from the castle and Bardock and Raditz were free to leave as well and to resume their vacation, but they planned on staying, at least until they found out what was going to happen with Goku. He still had some formalities to work through once he woke up and Bardock wasn’t sure how much down time he’d have until he had to move in (he assumed very little). Meanwhile, Raditz would be damned if he didn’t give his little brother a piece of his mind before he got initiated into the castle’s guards.

Raditz angrily tapped his foot in impatience as he waited for the regeneration tank his brother was set up in to finally finish its process. By now it’s been over 24 hours and still he isn’t fully healed. Bardock has come and gone several times, and he’s been irritatingly positive about the whole thing, but Raditz is pissed. Pissed at wasting so many days of his time off, pissed at having to fight his brother in the first place, pissed he _couldn’t_ defeat him, pissed he’s now a subject to the Royals- the list goes on.

Prince Tarble stopped by early in the morning to marvel at the young man and he paid his respects to Raditz, as well, explaining that he never would have known that the two were brothers with the way they duked it out on stage, and he gave him a strange look. Raditz was surprised he stopped by and he nodded and thanked him for his approval, but he didn’t know what else to say, and he really just wanted to be left alone about the whole thing, regardless of how much he has always liked Prince Tarble, he was embarrassed over losing and no amount of compassion was going to make it better. Thankfully the younger Prince didn’t stay long and Raditz could go back to mulling things over.

It did surprise him, however, when Prince Vegeta showed up to see how his recovery process was going and he couldn’t stay so wrapped up in his thoughts the moment elder Prince arrived.

“Commander,” Vegeta said as he entered the room, “You’ve been in here for some time, or so I’m told. A watched pot never boils, as the Earthling’s saying goes.”

“Sire!” Raditz bowed and nodded. He grew immediately nervous that he might be chastised for not being able to defeat his third-class sibling, but he didn’t dare bring it up.

“Hn,” Vegeta said, walking right past him to look into the tanks at the newest addition to his men, “So this is your little brother? I don’t see the resemblance.”

Raditz hesitated but replied, “We have different mothers, your Highness.”

Prince Vegeta’s smirk could be seen through the reflection of the glass as he added, “He did well for himself, for a low-level, but he has a lot to learn, yet, and I’m sure you’re going to fill him in on what is considered suitable etiquette at the castle.”

“…Sire?” Raditz questioned.

Prince Vegeta’s smirk widened as he looked over his shoulder at Raditz and said, “He’s a mouthy little shit, isn’t he?”

Raditz had no idea how to respond to that, so he didn’t say anything. Not that it’s rare for him to be so blunt with the Commander, only that he wasn’t expecting that comment about his little brother, at least, not so soon.

Vegeta simply looked back over at Goku for a moment before he turned away, continuing in his own amusement, and he looked around the room, almost casually as he explained, “I had an interesting encounter with your brother the morning before yesterday’s fights. He has a strong will, which is commendable,” He eyed Raditz as he added, “but it might get him into trouble.”

“I understand, your Highness,” Raditz replied, confused, suspicious, and even _more_ annoyed with Goku than before.

“Good,” The Prince replied, walking past him and heading to the door, “I only ask of one more thing from you before you leave to continue your vacation: see to it that I get word of his recovery immediately.”

“Yes, Sire,” Raditz bowed once more, but it went unnoticed, Vegeta was already gone.

Raditz turned to his little brother and gnashed his teeth, thinking, _‘What the hell did you say to him?’_

A few hours later Goku awoke, and luckily for him Raditz had gone off somewhere, but Bardock was in the room, smiling at him. The tank emptied and Goku emerged, feeling better than ever, although he was starving.

“Congratulations!” Bardock said, bringing his son in for a hug. Goku just smiled at him but he didn’t know what to say, but Bardock was quick to presume and he said, “I’m sure you’re hungry, do you want to get cleaned up first or just go find something to eat?”

Goku looked around and caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror. He said, sheepishly, “I should probably get cleaned up first.”

Bardock nodded and told him he’d come back in ten minutes.

Goku finally had a moment to think as he turned the water on in the shower room, but he didn’t know what he should be thinking about or how to feel. He almost died fighting Beron… The man was merciless, and the rush was priceless, but everything has been so unexpected. He sighed as he stepped under the water and let his thoughts run through his mind ceaselessly. He washed quickly, the thought of food too tempting to keep him content in the shower for long and upon exiting he looked around for something to dress into and found that once again one uniform has been left for him.

He flared his ki to dry off and got dressed. He checked his reflection in the mirror once more, brushed his teeth, did his business and by then his father returned. 

“There’s a cafeteria here, or we can go somewhere else if you’d like?”

“Let’s go somewhere else!” Goku replied, unsure about what time it was and nervous about meeting people right now. He grabbed his phone without bothering to check it.

Bardock nodded and they left, exiting the castle to go to a place nearby, there were plenty of options, and once they picked a place, Goku got his fill until his heart was content.

“Those were some fights, weren’t they?” Bardock mused to his son as his frantic eating finally started to calm down.

Goku replied, more to the point, “Yeah, I can’t believe how the Prince decided to switch things up like that…”

“But _you_ did great!” Bardock smirked at him, “I have to tell you, though, Raditz isn’t too happy with you.”

“What? Why?!” Goku asked, pushing his plates away.

“I’m not sure!” Bardock chuckled.

Goku didn’t exactly believe him, but he chose not to get into it and decided to check his phone, and it was exactly at that moment that Raditz called their father’s phone. As Bardock picked up to talk to his eldest, Goku read the messages that Raditz had left him and to his surprise he saw messages from old army friends as well, including the man who’d stopped by earlier in the competitions. He read those first and smiled to himself. They were nothing important, really, just some friendly hellos and a few congratulations. It was nice to hear from them, but he was distracted, and replied with a brief hello and ‘Hooorraah’ before attending to Raditz’s less peaceful texts.

“We just got done eating,” Bardock was saying nonchalantly, but Goku could hear Raditz yelling through the phone, though he couldn’t quite make out what was being said. Bardock replied calmly, “Well, I didn’t know that… Ok… Where are you? ...”

Goku rolled his eyes as he read the texts from his brother and saw that Raditz had discovered his pack of cigarettes and was mad about that, and he told him to call him as soon as he healed, but it’s too late for that, and he mentioned that he hoped he knew what he was in for in moving into the castle, but Goku didn’t know, so he didn’t respond to any of the threats he sent him and became a little lost in thought at the idea of what his new job position might entail.

“We’re not far, why don’t you come have a drink with us?” Bardock was saying when Goku’s focus returned.

Raditz yelled something so loud Bardock had to take the phone off his ear and he whispered to Goku, “Sheesh, you’d think he’s the one pregnant with how moody he’s been lately.”

Goku grinned and sat back, stretching, as Bardock put the phone back up to his ear and attempted to calm him down.

They paid their bill and Bardock, still on the phone with his eldest, motioned for Goku that it was time to head back. By now Goku was curious at what Raditz could be saying but he didn’t have to wait long to find out. Bardock hung up and turned to Goku, telling him, “Apparently Prince Vegeta wanted to know the moment you were healed.”

“Really?!” Goku said, unable to hide his interest in hearing more.

“That’s what he said. He said he left you a message?”

“Yeah,” Goku replied guiltily, “I just got it.” _‘But it didn’t say anything about him…’_

Bardock chuckled, “Oh well, it’s a little late, anyways. I was hoping that you would have gotten up sooner and we could have squared things away today, but it might have to wait until tomorrow.”

Goku nodded but didn’t reply. He didn’t want to ask any questions he didn’t want the answers to, and he wondered why he hadn’t given any thought to this before tonight. He didn’t want to admit it, but even he didn’t think he’d _win_. He just knew that he couldn’t back down. He just couldn’t. It wasn’t in him.

Bardock yawned loudly and said, “I wonder where they want you to sleep?”

Again, Goku didn’t respond.

Raditz met them at the outskirts of the castle, arms crossed, and a scowl on his face. He didn’t wait for them to speak and instead started the conversation with, “You really don’t understand, do you?” and he glared at Goku.

“What?” Goku wondered.

“You have responsibilities to the Royal House now! Since you woke up so late in the evening you can stay the night here or at one of the nearby hotels, but you’ve been summoned first thing tomorrow morning.” He held out a note for him. “Our stay at the hotel we had ended last night so we’ll need to get a place, as well. I brought all of our things with me,” He said, tugging on the pack of capsules slung behind his back.

Goku took the note and opened it, not concerned with anything else. Reading it quickly, he wondered, “Why wasn’t this left in the room?”

“It _was_ ,” Raditz growled, “You must have overlooked it.”

Bardock asked, “What does it say?”

Goku answered, “It says I am to report to the courts at 8 am where they will go over my new station with me. Whatever that means.”

“Whatever that-?!” Raditz growled, and then changed the topic, “What did you say to his Highness yesterday, Goku?!”

“Huh?!” Goku’s face flushed and he wondered how Raditz knew about their encounter, but the look on his brother’s face told him that there was no way he was going to be able to avoid the question and so he stated, meekly, “I… asked him what he was doing up so early?”

Bardock couldn’t help but crack a smile at that information, but Raditz was not amused, and he said, “Wha-?! When did you even see him?”

Goku laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head, “I woke up _really_ early before the tournament and I was hungry, so I went to look for some food, but I got lost and he… found me…”

Raditz looked so confused and exasperated he could hardly stand it, but he shook his head and said, “Never mind! He told _me_ that you need to learn a lesson in proper protocol!”

“Ha,” Goku smiled, and looked away in reminiscence, “Yeah he mentioned something about that.”

Now Raditz looked like he was about to strangle Goku so Bardock but in and said, “I think we should all get some rest! How about we stay the night at the hotel right down the way,” he pointed, “Then Goku can find out what’s going on in the morning and we’ll figure things out from there. Besides, we have an important date tomorrow night, remember, Raditz?”

Raditz complained again at his father reminding him and dropped the current conversation, clearly tired, and distracted. As they headed to find a room, Goku listened to their chatter and secretly hoped for the best, whatever that may be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally stole the knife fight idea thing from Yu Yu Hakusho. Love that show. It was one of the only other anime that I actually watched every episode of back when I watched anime haha. That one, DBZ of course, and Cowboy Bebop. Mmhmm
> 
> Anyways, Thank you guys so much for all of the support it really means a lot! The start up to this story is taking a while but we're getting there. Oh yes


	6. 6

CHAPTER 6

Goku was up early again, unable to contain the many emotions fluttering inside of him. He didn’t know what to expect. After getting some juice and doing a little stretching he found that his nerves were getting to him and so he grabbed a cigarette out of his pack and snuck outside to smoke. The air was brisk, and every day it was a little colder on Planet Vegeta. He took a few hits, enjoying the cool breeze, but the pastime didn’t do much for his anxiety and he found that after a few days without one, it didn’t taste quite as good either, so he put it out after a few puffs.

Once back inside he headed for the showers. Bardock could be heard in the kitchen making coffee, at least he assumed it was him, but he stealthily avoided him for now, still not quite sure what to say for himself on any account.

A stray thought hit him about how quickly everything was happening. He had just left the army, what, a month ago? Two months, maybe? He found part time work when he got back, most places were eager to hire veterans, but now he’s a part of the Royal Guard. He’ll have to formally quit his previous work, but he still wasn’t sure about where this is going, and he didn’t know what to feel about it.

The shower was relaxing but he made it quick, too anxious to get on with the day. It was fast approaching the time that he needed to be at the castle and for once he really didn’t want to be late, so he dried and dressed quickly before heading out to speak with his family.

Both Raditz and Bardock were drinking coffee in silence when he came into the kitchen. Upon looking at him, Raditz grunted, “Where’s your uniform?”

“Huh?”

Raditz huffed and said, “You can’t wear that. Go put your uniform on! And grab an empty bag to take with you!”

Goku sighed and went back to his room to change and found a small tote, though he didn’t know why he would need one. Once he returned, he ignored his brother’s side-eyeing and Bardock offered to make him something to eat before he left. Goku smiled and nodded and Bardock whipped up a small breakfast in about 5 minutes. It took less time than that for Goku to eat and then Raditz practically shooed him out the door, telling him to mind his manners the whole way.

By the time Goku got to the castle and found out where he was supposed to go from the guards, who seemed to know him before he even asked them a question, he was ten minutes early and he stood outside of the door wearily. It’s such a big door. This is such a big step. He shook it off and entered anyways.

There were only a few Saiyans inside, and he suddenly realized he wasn’t sure who he was supposed to talk to, but they all turned to him as he entered and one man said, “Come in! Sit down! You’re early! Good!”

He did as he was told and the four Saiyans continued to gather their paperwork together as he waited for further instruction.

They gave him a little bag, like a welcome starter-pack, which Goku didn’t have the time to look through, and handed him a stack of papers to sign, explaining briefly what each one stood for; one for second-class, one for Royal Guard, one for a little prize money, which he hadn’t given any thought to before, one for his new pay rate including a pay card, which he was also surprised to hear, one for his new room, including a room key, which he was very pleased to get, and then several more, but by that time it was too early in the morning for him to really understand what they were talking about and he was briefly reminded of what it was like entering into his first training camp in the army over a decade ago,

Finally, someone asked him if he had any questions to which he responded, “Um, what do I do now?”

They all laughed. The man who had first spoken to him when he entered said, “There are several guards who work directly for his Highness, they’ll be able to explain the job in more detail.”

One of the women said that he would need to get some bloodwork done immediately and told him to follow her, so he picked up his paperwork and his pack, placing it in the bag Raditz warned him to bring, (and he was secretly grateful to him) threw it over his shoulder, and they left.

It ended up being a long morning, especially after they tried to take a needle out on him. He completely freaked out and it took three men to hold him down for one simple prick. He felt sick after that and hardly paid attention to anything they were saying. It seemed like an awful lot, considering his position. _‘What do they need bloodwork done for, anyways?’_ He thought.

They told him to go get a physical in another part of the castle and he did so as fast as he could, unsure why all of this is necessary. His head swam. He’s gone from one place to another to another and by now he was certain that he would never find an exit, even if _could_ leave. Then he began wondering if he _is_ free to leave and it ate him up inside. No one has told him anything!

They brought him to another room where they told him a briefing would take place, he asked them who he would be speaking with, but they said they didn’t know and they left him at the door, and as he entered, he was determined to ask some questions, but there was only one man inside of the room and he was stunned to see him of all people.

“His Highness, Prince Vegeta has requested to speak with you. He will be here shortly,” Nappa told him.

“Sir!” Goku saluted his General, knowing who he was but having only met him a few times during his years as a soldier and he has never spoken to him directly.

Nappa said, looking unimpressed, “At ease. Go and stand over there.”

Goku did as he was told and waited with as much patience as he could muster, but he was a bundle of nerves at the thought of speaking to the Prince again. He surveyed the room in their silence. The General was busy with something on his phone, so Goku had some time to take in his surroundings. The room looked like some sort of office, a nice and simple one, with only two big chairs, one on either side of a desk, which was placed in the back, center of the room, and cabinets covered the sides of the walls. Nappa was standing beside the desk and Goku was standing off to the side of him, and he was eager, but he resisted fidgeting with all the self-control he could muster.

When Prince Vegeta arrived, there were two men with him, but he dismissed them both quickly and so they waited outside as he closed the door behind him. When his eyes fell upon Goku, he was already kneeling, but Vegeta didn’t speak to him at first. Instead he and Nappa shared a few words before he told the General that he could go. Goku heard the door close and then Vegeta told him to stand up and have a seat.

Goku quickly found the chair opposite of his Prince and sat down, but Vegeta did not. When Goku lifted his eyes to the Prince’s face, Vegeta was not looking at him at all, but rather, he seemed preoccupied in thought as he surveyed the room. Goku couldn’t help but think of him as someone he found incredibly handsome, yet woefully distant.

After a moment Vegeta said, his eyes turning to him, “ _Goku_ … Is that what they call you?”

He nodded blankly but watched him intently.

Vegeta explained, and it took some of Goku’s concentration to ignore the movement of his lips when he spoke and focus on his words, “Well, _Kakarot,_ I think you should know that I usually don’t request to speak with new recruits individually like this, but your hiring process was a bit different from anyone else, and I have no doubt that you have questions.”

Goku went to thank him for the opportunity, but Vegeta put his hand up to silence him and he resumed as he crossed his arms over his chest, staring him down directly as he was saying, “You have been very fortunate to achieve this position, you know. In fact, I believe that Raditz went easy on you.” A flash went through Goku’s eyes in questioning that remark, but he wondered if it was true all the same. He opened his mouth to say something again but Vegeta interrupted, again, stating as he studied him, “It is not by my will that your first big assignment is what it is, so don’t flatter yourself into thinking that you’ve made some sort of impression on _anyone_ here. In fact, you will train extensively, far more harshly than you ever did under the army’s watch, until I see that your new second-class rating is well deserved, and afterwards, and you might do well for yourself to eventually try and make first.”

Goku only nodded, feeling intellectually ignored, and noting that it seems as though a personal challenge has been issued to him from Vegeta’s callous way of berating his recent win and his military history.

“With that being said,” the Prince uncrossed his arms and put them behind his back, and Goku couldn’t help but notice that he’s wearing full armor, in the middle of the day, in his own castle, as he explained, “It is also not myself who will give you any mercy and so it was not my decision to give you the night off, but I understand that your family has prior plans for the evening and so you are allowed to join them, but you will be present first thing in the morning to get acquainted with your new surroundings, obligations, and fellow guards. Understood?”

“Yes, Sire, but-”

Vegeta disregarded the fact that he had said anything at all as he spoke, “Tomorrow afternoon I have something planned, because _nothing_ has been finalized, and if you do well then perhaps you will have earned the right to be permitted to travel with me as intended.”

“What?” Goku squeaked out, startled.

Vegeta glared at him and asked, “Are you seriously ignorant of the unsolicited rumors that were spread about the purpose of the tournament?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Goku countered firmly, and he furrowed his brows as he added, determined to get a word in, “I entered the tournament to become a solid member of the Saiyan Army. I just got lucky and won the whole thing.”

“Luck?” Vegeta smirked at him, baring his teeth. “Is that so? You have no interest in going to Earth with me, then?”

“Earth?! With you? Why?” he asked in surprise, his jaw dropping a little bit and some of his disdain at the idea couldn’t be hidden.

Vegeta quirked a brow, “I can see that you are surprised by that information. Fine.” He stood in silence for a moment. Goku watched him carefully, noting the poise with which he held himself, but there was something far beneath his demeaner that Goku desperately wanted to surface. Then Vegeta walked around the desk and told Goku to stand up as he came to face him. The difference in their height had no effect on Vegeta’s composure and he lifted his chin as he told him directly, looking from one eye to the next, and then examining his face, and his voice dropped low, as he told him, in a cheeky tone, “Tomorrow, we will see how truly **lucky** you are. You may go.”

But Goku insisted, intent on speaking, while his heart unexpectedly fluttered in his chest at the Prince’s lack of regard for their proximity, “Your Highness, I-”

“I said… you may go,” and in his eyes, as he stared him down resolutely, Goku could tell he was thinking many things.

Goku didn’t know what to do and he found himself returning Vegeta’s challenging gaze, and he really wasn’t trying to be confrontational, but he couldn’t help it. He didn’t know what Vegeta wants from him and the Prince wasn’t backing down, and he found himself in an odd predicament of not only curious contention, but insufficient space between the two of them. If he spoke how he wants!- but he can’t- and if he bows like he’s supposed to his face will surely come close to Vegeta’s- too close- and if he kneels, he might falter on the chair behind him and disappoint him, so he simply placed his right hand across his heart and bowed his head, but he couldn’t help but lift his eyes back to Vegeta’s for one last look before he turned and left the room altogether. It was his turn to not look back and he was certain Vegeta was watching.

Goku practically ran out of the castle, taking the first exit that he could find. It was too much. The air outside has warmed up some, but it was still cool, which felt good on his heated skin and he breathed in the fresh air as he took a good look around at his new… home.

He checked his phone for the time and any texts. It was almost one in the afternoon and his brother had blown his phone up wanting to know how everything went, but Goku needed a few minutes peace.

He headed to the gardens and found a place to sit and sort through all of items he has received. In it he found a scouter, which he immediately turned on and placed over his right eye, his room key, and he noted he would need to find out where that is, exactly, as well as some other random items he figured he’d need eventually, but he gave up on searching through the things more thoroughly after a few minutes and decided it would be best to head back to the hotel, even if it was just for a quick nap before dinner. He couldn’t gather his thoughts together, anyways.

Why was Prince Vegeta being so… He couldn’t figure out how to put it, but he was fascinated by him all the same. He felt as though he should be bothered by how sharp the Prince had been with him, but he wasn’t upset about it, no, he was ignited by it.

He hurried to the hotel and when he entered the lobby some people stopped and saluted him, he nodded back, but couldn’t figure out why they were treating him with such respect. Did his win from the castle really spread that quickly? When he got back to the room his father burst out in laughter, and Raditz came running in from another room to see what was so funny.

He grinned at his little brother and said, “So, it’s official, huh? Are you liking your new look? Only Castle Members where those nowadays.”

Goku realized he was still wearing the scouter and blushed as he took it off immediately, replying coyly, “I was just trying it on. I don’t get why they still use these things.”

Raditz explained, still chuckling, “It’s much quicker and more efficient than sending a text. It’s used for mass communication or direct, immediate transmissions. It comes in handy, trust me, you’ll see. You can get messages left on it as well. Plus, it’s less incriminating than texts, when used correctly.”

Bardock laughed and asked Goku how everything went, but Goku just dropped his bag, hopped on the couch, and sighed.

“I bet you want a cigarette about now,” his father joked knowingly.

“RADITZ!” Goku yelled and took his shoe off to throw it at him, but Raditz dodged, laughing from the hallway where he’d found his cover.

Bardock smiled, “Go ahead, it’s your life. I smoke an occasional cigar every now and then. But I don’t think you’ll have time to keep the habit up after today.”

Goku nodded, embarrassed, but comforted at the same time, still, he didn’t move from his place on the couch. Then he asked, “Hey, am I going to dinner with you guys?”

“Of course!” Raditz said, reemerging, “Now you’re going to do what **I** have planned for once!”

Goku smiled and closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Minala is everything Raditz could have ever hoped for but thought he didn’t deserve and Goku agreed. She is beautiful and playful. She’s nice, if not a bit assertive, which most female Saiyans are, and she is smarter than Raditz, all while being hopelessly in love with him. Bardock wholeheartedly approved, not that he wouldn’t, but he was more than pleased to find how good of a match they truly are together and both he and Goku were impressed with her. She could certainly keep Raditz’s tail wrapped tight.

“Drink! Drink!” she cried, “I know I can’t have anything but you all sure can- Please! Drink one for me! Raditz is paying,” she joked and Raditz gushed.

Goku has never seen him so happy and he found it nice but a little strange to watch. His brother was almost always a more serious type of person, but he could see that she brought out the best in him. Their joy was contagious and made him want to smile nonstop like they are, and in spending time with them he noticed that Bardock’s pride was showing, as well. He wouldn’t stop asking her to tell him about everything and anything and he kept hinting he wanted them to name the baby after him, but they knew he was only kidding.

It was working though, Minala warmed up to them very quickly and found herself telling Bardock all that he wanted to know. Raditz told her to stop sharing secrets and warned that his father has a way of getting them out of people. His charms maybe? He wasn’t sure. She hushed him for the tenth time and told Bardock that she has been dying to meet both him and Raditz’s little brother.

She asked Goku, “So you won the competition, I heard? Bravo! Are you excited to be working in the castle with the rest of your family?”

“Yes,” he smiled but he wondered if it was true. Not that he minded his family, but he wasn’t so sure about his new job, including the travel requirements, he ignored his thoughts of Vegeta for now.

“It can be overwhelming at first,” she sighed, as one of her hands glided across her belly, “I remember when I first started there, I thought I’d never make friends, hell, I thought I wouldn’t make it period! But now I can’t imagine my life in any other way. Ah, but you were in the army, you know what it’s like to have a home away from home. You’ll be fine. The Royals are good to their men, especially the one’s closest to them, if you can handle their demands. The start-up will go by so fast, and before you know it, you’ll have earned some vacation time and then you won’t know what to do with yourself!”

Goku just smiled.

Raditz added, in disagreement, “That may be so but it’s Prince Vegeta he’s a guard for, not Prince Tarble. He’ll be ecstatic for the time off.”

“I know which Prince he’s a subject to!” Minala argued, “And he’s better off for it, at least it’ll be more interesting for him. Prince Tarble has even less need of guards than Prince Vegeta- but for different reason- he doesn’t have half the weight on him that his elder brother does! No one wants to kill **him** ,” she laughed as she jested, “And at least Prince Vegeta has his men invest themselves in things other than guardianship.”

“Other things?” Goku asked, intrigued. “Like what?”

“Oh, well, it depends,” she shrugged, “on what you become most interested in. But it won’t all be following him around needlessly; I can tell you that. He dismisses his men from his sight half the day, anyways.”

Goku laughed, he’s seen the truth in that, already. He replied, “I’m not sure I know what to do with myself as it is,” and then he sighed and added, candidly, “I at least hope he’ll find me useful to him.”

Minala smiled and gave him a peculiar look but didn’t respond.

Raditz finished his beer and told Goku, “Don’t tell _him_ that.”

Bardock just chuckled, apparently in on whatever the joke was that went straight over Goku’s head. He said, “It’s my understanding that Prince Vegeta enjoys training, probably more than you do. Maybe you could let it be known that you’d enjoy sparring with him.”

“Father, please,” Raditz made a sour face, “He’s no match for him.”

Bardock only grinned at Goku before turning to Minala, and he said, “Wait, I’ve just remembered- When are we going to meet your family? Your father is a scientist, isn’t he? I’d love to annoy him! Raditz and I still have a whole week off and I can’t imagine Goku will be completely overwhelmed his first week on duty.”

Raditz blushed, clearly nervous to meet her father, and didn’t say a word, but her face lit up and she practically started crying about how much she’d love for that to happen at their earliest convenience.

Goku was grateful for the change in conversation and spent some time afterwards thinking about the Prince and his taunting ways. He figured he didn’t need to take it so personal, but he did. What are the plans for tomorrow that he was talking about? As much as Goku was enjoying his night to himself, he couldn’t wait to find out.

When he awoke the next morning, the first thing he realized is that the Prince hadn’t told him what time to report, or where, and he foolishly hadn’t checked for any messages the night before. He smiled to himself, though, squeezing his pillow. The pressure of responsibility kind of reminded him of being back in the army, and he supposed he got what he wanted, in a way, after all. Then he noticed the slight pounding of his head and he cursed his brother. Once they had gotten back to the hotel Raditz insisted they stop at the bar so he could continue celebrating, in his own glowing baby-daddy sort of way, and he had ordered them all several rounds of shots. Goku was feeling it now, and he pressed his face into his pillow and groaned before forcing himself up and out of bed.

On the plus side he was used to getting up early, so it was only a little past six and he assumed he’d have time to gather all his things and hopefully find his room before he was expected to report. He checked his messages on the scouter as he brushed his teeth and found, however, that he was supposed to meet up with some of his fellow guards at seven. He yelped, threw everything he could find into his bags, wrote a note to his brother and his dad and zipped out the door.

By the time he got to the castle and found his room, which took more time than he would have liked, he found _another_ uniform and note for him, which told him where they were meeting. He dressed quickly and grabbed his scouter, phone, and key before running to find the training grounds marked for guards. He barely made it a minute before seven am.

Some of the men chuckled as he came running up to greet them, some of them ignored him, and some just stared before going about their business. A moment later someone else came by and greeted them all.

“Is everyone here? I hope so. Let’s go through rollcall. Burriso? Coury? Druer?”

All three men replied.

“Frond? Hiler? Osha?”

The next three replied.

“Prayner? Riki? Son?”

Goku “yepped” with the rest of them, looking around.

“Talor? Ula? Veno?” They replied. The man nodded and said, still looking at his notes, “That’s all of you for today.”

 _‘For today!’_ Goku thought, _‘How many more are there?’_

“Alright, so!” the man said, finally looking up, “You guys know the drill. You got a new one, welcome him properly. _Goku_ , is it? Your paperwork says ‘Kakarot’?”

Goku startled and said, “Goku is a nickname.”

Some of the men of the guard laughed and one remarked, “Yeah, I heard it’s the name you got on Earth from when you hit your head as a baby! Some destroyer of worlds.”

Someone else came to his defense, and replied, “Oh shut up, it’s a good thing he didn’t destroy the Earth, moron. We don’t do that, anymore. Leave him be.”

“Ok, ok,” the organizer interrupted, “Goku, welcome to the Royal Guard. They will show you a little bit about what that means. I expect a full report and I’ll be back to speak to you at noon.” He told them, saying the last part to Goku in particular, and with that he left.

“So, _Goku_ , you’re the lucky contest winner, hmm?” One of the men said as they all began to surround him and he pointed at his hand and remarked that it’s obvious to anyone who cared to look that he is, indeed, brand new to the castle.

Goku simply nodded and did his best to try and remember their faces, ignoring the fact that some of them were trying to be intimidating. They were not all taller than him, and they were not all older, nor all male.

“I’m Rictor,” one of the men bobbed his head in greeting, and then several of them proceeded to introduce themselves, but some of them didn’t bother.

Eventually, one of the women of the group interrupted, saying, “Enough! He’s never going to be able to remember everyone the first day, and he’s certainly got a lot more that he needs to learn aside from that. Listen here, Goku. You may be a second-class, now, but most of us are Elites, and we don’t need you bringing us down, or holding us back. We plan on training today. When we don’t train, we see how else we can be of use to his Highness and we work in shifts. Sometimes night, sometimes day, it just depends. You’re just going to have to catch on as best you can. If you need to switch a shift that can be arranged, otherwise, if Prince Vegeta calls for you personally, you better be there, got it?”

“Uh, yes ma’am,” he nodded.

The men all laughed. “He called you ma’am!”

She growled, “It’s Felia. Don’t ma’am me, just do as your told,” and with that she turned and headed inside of the training room.

“Oh ho ho, she’s bossing around another one!” one of them snickered as they followed after her.

Goku shook it off and started to head inside after them, but one of the men stopped him and said, “Don’t worry, all of us were new at some point. They just want to see what you’re made of, but I heard you’re Commander Raditz’s younger brother and that guy is a sturdy piece of machinery, am I right? I think you can hack it.”

Goku smiled at him and nodded, answering, “You bet…”

“Zuko,” he nodded, introducing himself, and the two followed everyone else inside.

Once inside they introduced Goku to some of the drills that they run, some he was familiar with, but hadn’t done them in a while, and some he’d never seen in his life. He tried them all with the rest of the men and struggled to keep up with them. After a few brutal rounds, which they called their warmup, they switched to a more targeted practice. The target was mostly Goku, and needless to say, he got quite the beating.

They only took breaks in ten-minute intervals, and by the time noon came around Goku had thrown up in the trash cans more than once.

The men and women hit the showers separately, where there were clean clothes there for them as well as any and all toiletries necessary. Everything was marked for each individual and Goku couldn’t help but remark on how organized and well thought out the castle seemed. He received a half-hearted grunt from a fellow guard but no one else bothered to talk to him. He brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth, feeling smaller than he’s felt in a long time as they all exited the training grounds only to find the same person who’d taken roll earlier waiting for them.

Zuko pointed to his scouter, motioning for Goku to put his on and he did so, feeling hungry and weak with every movement of his body.

“Very good, men,” the man, who Goku now knew as Hanes, told them, and he handed them all some information on today’s schedule, except for Goku, and told them all to go about their day, while asking Goku to follow him.

“I hope it went well,” he said as he walked briskly to their next location, “Your schedule should be posted on the door of your room by now, and hopefully within the week you’ll get into the swing of things.” Goku nodded but the man wasn’t even looking to see it, instead he just kept on talking, assuming he was heard, “Prince Vegeta has requested that you meet him for a more private event.”

 _‘I wonder what he has in mind…?’_ Goku thought to himself as he hurried right along, following shortly behind the tall, fast-walking man.

“I honestly don’t know what his plans are so don’t ask me, but you do have some time to kill, so I’d get something to eat if I were you. The closest food court is that way,” he pointed to his right, “but I’m to show you to your next appointment so that you know where to go after you finish your lunch. I suggest you eat something light.”

Before long they came upon another area in the castle that Goku hadn’t visited yet and he wondered why all the traveling but kept his thoughts to himself.

Hanes said, gesturing to a large door kept by two guards, “This is the Court of the Guards. A special training arena where Prince Vegeta likes to come and train at times. You will meet him back here at one o’clock. Good day and good luck.” He nodded at Goku before he went on his way.

Goku’s head swam and he tried his best to find the food courts and remember the way back, and he did as was suggested and only ate a light lunch, and after doing so, felt much better on his way back, which he managed to find fairly well. He was a little early in his haste to be on time and the guards permitted his entry upon inquiring his name, and after going inside he found himself in awe of the open room, and he wandered around alone for a few minutes before anyone else arrived but he wasn’t given much time to think of anything in particular before several men started filing in. One of them was Prince Tarble.

Prince Tarble noticed Goku immediately and smiled at him before telling his guards to stay where they are and going up to speak with him.

Goku kneeled, as is custom, and waited to be told to stand back up. He wasn’t sure what to expect in meeting the younger Prince of planet Vegeta.

Tarble said to him cheerily, in a soft voice, “It’s nice to finally make your acquaintance! I know your family well and I enjoyed your battle the other day, very much! So did my brother, I believe. I have been looking forward to today’s events ever since!”

Goku thanked him, surprised by how sweet he is, especially compared to Vegeta, but he didn’t say anything more.

Tarble added, “You look so much like your father I might confuse you two if I was searching for one of you in a crowd.” He laughed, “I know I don’t look like much. I don’t know why I’m so much shorter than my brother, who is even shorter than our father, but they say that height skips a generation! You have good genes then, I suppose, your grandfather must have been a tall man.”

Goku couldn’t help but smile and he answered, “I wouldn’t know, I never met him, your Highness.” He was pleasantly surprised to find such humor in him.

The Prince laughed and said, “Perhaps I’ll find a tall woman to ensure my child doesn’t have to deal with such issues. And you could afford to find a short one, hm?”

Goku blushed.

“My brother needs a good man to travel with him, I even mentioned that he might take Raditz, but seeing as how Raditz is going to be a father soon that is out of the question.”

Goku was surprised to hear that but he didn’t know what to say.

Thankfully Tarble was a bit of a talker and so he went on to add, “In any case, I do hope you fair well, today! Good luck in your coming trials!”

Goku bowed deeply, hiding his personal questions pertaining to what this whole thing is about and with that Tarble turned and went back over to his guards just as another bout of men came pouring into the room. This time Prince Vegeta, followed by some of the guards Goku had just met, and some whom he’s never seen before, entered swiftly. General Nappa was with them, too, and many other faces he did not recognize. Goku knelt again as Vegeta briefly looked his way, but the elder Prince ignored him, seeming to be scanning the room as he headed straight over to his younger brother who smiled as Vegeta all but completely frowned.

Some of the guards that Goku was familiar with motioned for him to come closer. He did so nervously, not sure he was supposed to be so close to the Princes without their say-so.

“So,” one of the men he was familiar with, Kenril, he thinks, told him, “You still excited to be in the Guards?” The men around them laughed dauntingly.

“This is Goku,” another woman he was familiar with, Riley is her name, (he thinks) introduced him to the others.

“Yeah, yeah,” a man he didn’t know spoke, “We saw him fight the other day. Did your brother take it easy on you, or what?” he sneered.

Goku’s face grew stern and he replied, in a bluff, “I don’t think he did, but I’d be happy to solicit a fight with him one on one if it’ll clear the air on that.”

Some of the men looked at one another in surprise at his remark and his abrupt seriousness.

“Seems to me that’s already been taken care of,” another one of them said, and just then Raditz came into the room, followed by some other castle members Goku did not know.

“Raditz!” Goku exclaimed.

“Yes, little brother, I am here,” he said, and his face was again, devoid of all emotion.

Prince Tarble announced that he would like to speak to the group as a whole and everyone in attendance turned and paid their attention to him.

“Thank you all for coming,” he said, as though they had a choice, “I am very excited to announce today’s challenge for the newest member of the guards!”

The current men clapped and hollered in approval.

“As you all know, initiation is an important part of our processes, and not one of you can say that you haven’t gone through your very own personal struggles in earning your place here. Now it is our newest member’s turn to prove his worth.”

Goku gulped, as he had a pretty good idea of what that meant, and he realized that he was hung over, exhausted from extensive training, and terrified to fight his ruthless brother one on one in front of so many people. He licked his lips as his eyes flickered to Vegeta, who was watching him closely and didn’t look away upon making the eye contact, but instead smirked in seeing the nervousness they both knew he put there. Goku found the look on his face to be stirring, sensual even, and he grew determined to do whatever it took to prove himself to him and found it difficult to look away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! So the 7th chapter is gonna be the last one that I update this quickly. I'm still fine tuning things and I have not prewritten everything, so I hope you guys have enjoyed the quick updates so far, and I hope that you stick with me! Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, too! I really appreciate the feedback :) Enjoy!


	7. 7

CHAPTER 7

“Would you like to add anything, brother?” Tarble said, turning to Vegeta.

Vegeta looked at Tarble slyly and replied, “By all means, continue.”

Tarble smiled and said, “Very well. Esteemed men and Guards of the Royal House, you have been gathered here today to witness a battle of initiation. These fights usually happen upon grounds of either controversy or humility and are not to be used as a subject of ridicule, but as foundations for understanding where the Saiyan in question’s personal potential currently resides. Come forth, Son, Kakarot.”

Goku wasn’t sure what he meant by that exactly, but he stood tall as he made his way to kneel before both Princes in front of the group of men.

“You may stand,” Tarble told him gently, and then lifted his voice so that everyone could hear him once more, “Upon watching your win in the competition which was recently held here at the Castle grounds, there have been two blames laid against you. One you surely must have figured out by now, but the second, I don’t believe has been so widely discussed.”

Goku got the idea that Tarble was only being so long winded because this was some sort of regulation thing, and there was no way he was getting out of it, even if there hadn’t been anything in question to begin with. Still, he wondered what he did wrong and listened acutely as Tarble explained.

“It was Prince Vegeta’s purpose to give you a difficult fight in the second to final round of the tournament, and his own decision to pit one brother against the other, but there are some in the castle who believed that perhaps your elder brother went easy on you. Commander Raditz please step forward.”

Raditz did as he was told and stood next to his brother before kneeling before the Royals.

“You may stand,” Tarble told him, “And do you, Commander, have anything to say for yourself.”

Raditz replied, “I did not and would not concede to him, up to and including for the sake of him winning a competition. He held his own on his own accord, and I can guarantee that I was not expecting it, but I couldn’t have known how strong he’s gotten as I haven’t seen him fight since he was in his teens, your Highness.”

Tarble smiled, “Well, it is this court’s opinion that if that be truly the case, and he was able to hold his own against you _and_ another Commander of the Saiyan army, than surely he would be able to do more damage in a one on one battle against you. So! You will fight each other again today and he must prove to be either equal or the stronger fighter between the two of you.”

Raditz nodded and bowed and then Goku caught on and nodded and bowed as well as Raditz walked away and began stretching to prepare for their fight.

“There is also a second part of the battle which has been questioned and I will elaborate it unto you, now,” Tarble said and everyone remained quiet as they heard him out, interested in what he was about to say. “It seems to many of us that you and the other finalist, Beron, I think was his name, were quite honestly _not_ equal in strength, although you may have outwitted him a time or two.”

Goku didn’t understand, but still he listened closely.

“You were able to throw him off the knives. You were able to avoid most of his attacks, and you were able to render him defenseless, but you were not able to completely subdue him and although I enjoyed watching the fight, I’m not so sure you had him completely beat. And in fact, I believe that you yourself described your win as ‘luck’ to his Highness, Prince Vegeta, did you not?”

Goku’s heart skipped a beat and he replied, “I did, Sire.”

All the men looked at one another and some of them began to murmur.

Tarble nodded but threw his hand up to silence them, and his face grew serious for the first time all afternoon and he said, his voice grim and cold, “We do not believe in luck, here, _Goku_. We believe in strength, will, determination… grit. We believe in winning. We believe in **_overpowering_** our enemies. Am I understood?”

“Yes, Sire,” Goku nodded, suddenly understanding what it _really_ means to be a personal Guard of the Prince of Planet Vegeta.

Tarble nodded at him and his voice picked up, returning to its natural chipper tone, “That being said, after you’ve finished your battle with Raditz, you will try your best hand at our Army’s General, Nappa! I think that should be an interesting match for you, and from there we will assess where you stand in your training verses where you need to be. You may go get ready. You have fifteen minutes.”

Goku bowed and went to the side of the training arena, where he found benches as some water coolers, and his heart thud in his chest and his mind raced but he couldn’t focus as Tarble was still speaking, now more sternly, to the entirety of the room. He removed his scouter as he listened.

Tarble was heard clearly from across the room, and he said, “War doesn’t care if you’re tired. War doesn’t care if you’re hungry. War doesn’t care if you’re drunk, or if you’re pregnant. It doesn’t care if you’re sore, or if you’re poor or if you’re rich! We don’t wait for war to prepare ourselves. We prepare ourselves for war!”

The whole of the men let out a battle cry at once, and then Tarble dismissed them to do their own thing and told them to watch the battle from the sidelines, away from himself and his brother, while they wait for the fights to begin. There were two men that he stopped and asked to stay for a moment, and he told them that they were to mediate the fights and explained what he expected, and then he told them to go as well. The two Royals took a seat beside one another and spoke to each other quietly on occasion as they waited.

Raditz avoided speaking with Goku at all costs, and he removed his scouter as well and didn’t touch his phone, all in an effort to dispel any further rumor that perhaps he and his brother might be plotting out how the fight should go. Prince Vegeta had planned this out well, once again, seeing as how Raditz had received the emergency call at noon, and he only learned what this was all about once he arrived, so there was no way for them to have convened at any time before now.

Goku stretched his sore muscles, inspired by Vegeta’s eyes and Tarble’s speech and he made his way to the middle of the arena before the time was up, ready to get on with it. He briefly wondered, in his own comedy, if every day was going to be this interesting at the castle and he smirked to himself as he thought it.

Prince Tarble, who watched the scene about him observantly, (a trait he shared with his brother) couldn’t help but notice that Vegeta’s eyes, although mostly roaming, consistently settled on Goku’s form, as they had the day of the competition, even when Goku wasn’t fighting. He’s noticed Goku doing the same thing to his brother, and although that wasn’t uncommon by any means, he was determined to mock his brother for his own interest in the warrior in question.

Not wanting to make it known just how evident his attention is on Goku, to his own sibling anyways, he decided to test the waters, and he leaned over to Vegeta and whispered, smiling as he said, “Was it you he was giving that look to as we began earlier?”

“Who? What look?” Vegeta asked, tilting his head, in boredom and denial.

Tarble scoffed playfully and replied in stealth, “ _Goku_ , who else? What could a look like that possibly mean?”

Vegeta turned to meet his eyes directly and replied with a shrewd tone, articulating each word intensely, “I assure you I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

When his brother turned away to end the debate, Tarble also looked away and he smiled to himself and although he may have been forced to drop the topic, he did not let it slip his mind and he continued to watch closely to see if perhaps there was something more there.

The fifteen minutes ended quickly and Goku and Raditz both stood in stance for battle. No ki was to be allowed, and there would be a time limit of one hour, and with that the fight commenced.

It started out slow and then sped up into an all-out brawl. Goku’s muscles were sore from the training early and Raditz was going at his best. Goku spent some time watching and learning some of Raditz’s moves and patterns while trying to make a few solid hits.

Raditz was determined to get Goku to back down, even if it meant that he would get kicked out of the Guards, that was fine with him. He would live, he’d still have the army, after all, and Raditz didn’t want to deal with the taunting of his colleagues if he could at all help it.

The longer their fight went on, though, and the harder Raditz tried, the more desperate he became to defeat him, and then, once he realized that his strength was waning, it became apparent to him that Goku has surpassed him, after all. His speed was slowing down, while Goku’s stamina seemed constant and steady.

After an hour the fight was called, much to Raditz’s embarrassment, and the first of the offenses against Goku had been cleared, for it Goku is now stronger, if not at least his brother’s equal.

Goku was tired as he nodded his head in Radit’z direction, but most of all he was surprised by himself. He figured it must be all the tough challenges he’s underwent in the past few days that’s made him so much stronger. Still, he felt drained and unready for the next round, but his adrenaline was pumping, and he knew he needed to keep going.

Raditz took a seat on the benches nearby and spent his time recovering while Goku was met in the middle of the room, this time by General Nappa, and Raditz watched from the sidelines, knowing Goku wouldn’t be able to stand up to him.

The mediators asked if they should wait but Vegeta told them no, and so they shouted for the fight to commence and Nappa did not take it easy on Goku in any way. The duel was hard to watch as Goku was proved to be the much weaker, but not the less stubborn fighter of the two. Nappa was toying with him at best, but Goku gave it his all, in spite of how outmatched he is to him.

Tarble murmured to Vegeta, a few minutes in to the second round, as he watched the scene before him mildly disturbed, “You’re cruel for doing this, you know.”

Nappa got in a nasty kick and Goku skidded along the floor before standing up again on shaky legs.

Tarble turned to Vegeta and added at his resolute silence, “You’ve set him up for failure. Even the men of the Guard said they were impressed with how well he kept up with them this morning, in spite of the fact that they were going hard on him then, and they’re mostly Elites. You made him go through that relentless training, just to fight an hour later against his own brother and now this? He’s proven himself ten times over by now. Is getting beat to near death really necessary? This whole trial is very unfair. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone go through… this.”

Vegeta didn’t even bat a lash, and he didn’t bother to turn to his brother as he answered, and all he said was, “You don’t know what cruel is, Tarble,” and then he mocked in a clever afterthought uttered in a detached tone, “And you forgot to add in your speech earlier that ‘war isn’t fair.’”

Prince Tarble, knowing his brother was right _and_ wrong but not wanting to think about his brother’s past, turned back to watch the fight just in time to see Nappa deck Goku so hard he flew into the wall, cracking the reinforcement in it.

Goku somehow manage to get back up and he continued to take hit after hit, refusing to go down, until at last, nearly thirty minutes into the hour-long session, he couldn’t stay conscious any longer.

Tarble was touched, and called the fight, demanding that Goku be taken to recovery quickly, but Vegeta simply called for his guards and left swiftly without so much a batting a lash at anyone in the room. The men who came to watch left as well, and then all that was left was Raditz, Tarble, and Tarble’s men.

Raditz wished to leave the castle altogether, not wanting to deal with the witnesses comments at the moment, and ready to _finally_ resume his much needed vacation, but he had to see to it that Goku was ok, and he also wanted to find out his schedule so he stood to his feet and gathered his things, as well as his brother’s and began to head to the door.

Tarble’s guards came to him to wait for an order, and he told them to stand by, as he went to Raditz and said privately, “Would you like to use the healing tanks, as well? I can have that arranged for you.”

Raditz bowed but replied in pride, “No, your Highness, thank you, but I am alright.”

Tarble whispered to him, confessing, “I can see that you care for him very much, as brothers are generally either very close or nothing at all. And… you know my brother… in some ways better than myself…”

Raditz’s eyes widened for a moment as he thought he understood him. Was he apologizing on Vegeta’s behalf? He replied, quietly, and admitted, “I trust Prince Vegeta with my life, why should I not trust him with my kin’s?”

Tarble nodded and turned away and he and his men quit the room.

When Raditz found Goku, he was beyond tired, in pain, and annoyed, and he cursed at him through the glass before smiling despite himself. He placed Goku’s phone and scouter on the nearby counter, but he kept his room key for now and headed to take a shower and clean up in his own quarters.

Once refreshed he made a call to their father about the events of the day before leaving his room to get something to eat. Then he also went to Goku’s room, which has barely been touched, and took a picture of his weekly schedule on his phone for his reference. By the time he returned to where Goku is healing, he saw that he’s got a long way to go before being fully healed and Raditz figured he ought to give him his space for once in his life and so he wished him good luck with sincerity and left the castle all together.

When Goku awoke sometime later and he finally got out of the healing tank he wasn’t so sure what to do with himself. He didn’t know what time it was, or how long it had been, or if he had even passed the test. No one was there to see him.

He shrugged it off, though, and rinsed his body off in the shower before he came back to check his phone and find some clothes. On his phone he learned that it has been more than half a day since his “trials,” and it’s now 3 o’clock in the morning. He groaned to himself in annoyance at the time as he noticed that there are also messages from his brother, congratulating him on his success, and ones from his father of a very casual “Hey, Hope it’s going well” sort, to which he didn’t know how to respond, and with it being so early he figured it could wait, so he ignored them, and found some clothing set out for him and got dressed. There was no note this time, he looked to be sure, but he did find his room key and his scouter and he wondered if Raditz was the one who brought his things to him but he didn’t think much of it, he was just grateful to have what he needed for now.

He placed his scouter over his right ear as he exited the room and realized he didn’t know where he was going, or really how to use the contraption on his face. He asked a guard to point him in the direction of the food courts, which he did with a small smile, remembering him from a couple nights ago. Goku thanked him and headed off, but then he figured he ought to go to his room first and he sighed as he rerouted, disappointed at the thought of putting off a meal longer than he would like.

Still he trudged on, the darkness in the castle reminding him of the first night he came here only a couple days ago, and he tried to make the best of things, but he was weary the whole way to his room, not wanting to be caught off guard again.

Once he got to his room and went inside, he turned on the light and took a good look around and he wasn’t displeased. It wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small. There was a sink and a table with chairs, a fridge and stove and microwave in a small kitchen (although he despised microwaves, they reminded him too much of the idleness of Earthlings, which is where the contraption originated), and a couch, a TV (which he also rarely uses), and then a hall that led to the bedroom where there was a bathroom, including a shower.

Opposite to the bedroom was a laundry room, which he was pleased to find, because he’s worn about four different uniforms by now and he was wondering how he was going to keep up with them all, not to mention where they’ve all gone. All in all, it’s like having his own little apartment, but he wondered how much time he would really get to spend in it, or if he’d even like living here at all. He couldn’t say.

He noticed his unpacked bag that Raditz insisted he fill with extra clothing and thought about if he’d ever get the chance to wear any of it again. What uniform was he supposed to be wearing every day? What’s his schedule going to be? When’s breakfast and lunch and dinner? Is it free- it has been so far…? He grabbed his money card, which he remembered the other men saying has the tournament money deposited onto it, (which he also hasn’t given much thought to,) and put it in his pocket, just in case he’d need it when he went to get some food. He was seriously thinking about stepping out to get something to eat this time, just to get away for a minute.

There are so many questions he knows he hasn’t even given a second moment to, yet, and he sighed heavily as he dumped out all of his belongings onto the floor, marking his territory, and set the small bag that held his paperwork on the nightstand by his bed. Although he’s technically been sleeping for a while now, he is still very tired, mentally, and emotionally, and he wants for nothing more than to get a little bit to eat and then to go to sleep like normal.

On his way back through his room, he made a turn for the kitchen and checked his fridge in a hopeful afterthought, thinking that maybe he wouldn’t have to go out, but nothing was in it. He grabbed his key and headed to the door to leave, but upon it was his schedule, and after figuring the time and the day, he realized that he was supposed to report tomorrow at noon, and, against his desires, he decided it best to simply go and lay down and try to catch up on some decent sleep and relaxation.

In the back of his mind, he couldn’t help but feel a certain nervousness about the possibility of about meeting Prince Vegeta in the middle of the night again, and he wasn’t sure he needed to add that to his list of questionable events and thoughts that are already plaguing him, so he undressed, leaving the clothing on the floor as he moved through the house, and plopped onto his bed. He set an alarm on his phone, and then fell asleep almost immediately afterwards.

The next few days seemed to go by fast, just as Minala had said. Goku called in to quit his temp job, which, honestly, they had already fired him since he stopped showing up, but they said they appreciated the late explanation and wished him luck. He activated his pay card and found that he has 25,000 dollars on it, which he was floored to learn, he never bothered to find out how much money the tournament was worth, but he was grateful, nonetheless. And eventually he met all of Prince Vegeta’s guards, as well as Prince Tarble’s, aside from other castle members who worked in the same circles as the guards, but with different responsibilities. It was too much to keep up with right now. All he knew is that the men and women of the guard totaled about 30 per Prince. He still hasn’t memorized all of their names, but he figured it was fine, since some of them don’t even bother to speak to him, anyways. He didn’t know why they were so uptight, but he didn’t try to push it, either.

They’ve trained off and on now, and at least some of them have begun to warm up to Goku, filling him in on how things go at the castle for Saiyans of their status. So far, he’s enjoyed getting to know most of them, and was surprised to learn that all of their schedules are just as erratic as his. One day he may go in a 4 and get off at 9, the next he may go in at 10 and get off at 3, and the next he may be requested to be available from noon until 8, but it wasn’t always for the Prince’s beck and call. In fact, it was mostly for training purposes, they always met in the same spot, and then Hanes or another regulator named Jero, discussed their day from there, depending on the Prince’s schedule and it seemed so far that the Prince uses them in rotation.

He learned that only basic breakfast, lunch, and dinner is free (technically it comes out of their paycheck prior to ever getting it, so they never miss the money and he only received some food up until now because of the markings on his hand) but there are extra purchases that he can make at certain places within the castle, or, on his down time, he can go eat somewhere outside of the castle limits. There are tons of different restaurants to choose from and he planned on visiting them all.

He also found out that each guard gets new uniforms on a regular basis, since some of them get destroyed so easily during training, and that the uniform may change depending on the occasion, but that they are responsible for laundering basic items and that they will be notified ahead of time about any specific requirements for a specific date. That didn’t bother Goku so much, he was used to the change of clothes and uniform according to certain duties or dates. He was pleased to hear that armor is being made for him, though, and that he will be expected to wear it over his uniform when on duty for the Prince personally, and he wondered about how different this armor would be from his usual army getup.

He was happy to find that their rooms are replenished with every day cleaning supplies when necessary, and lightly picked up after, if the door is left unlocked for them to do so, but overall, when off duty, the men and women are left to their own devices, and most of them hang out together quite often. Some of them are even in relationships with one another.

They showed him how to use the scouter properly, and told him to be careful when making direct transmissions, especially if he wanted the information to go unheard by someone else, and they also explained how breaks and time off worked, but he wasn’t so concerned with those things at the moment.

They told Goku that he’ll make so much money he won’t know what to do with it, (and they mentioned how lucky he is to have gotten some reward money to start off with) and that a lot of them end up donating some of their earnings to charities of their choosing, or they save up and purchase costly items from Earth whenever the space merchants come around. When not on duty they are required to still wear the red and black, but not the armor, as long as they are in the castle.

They admitted that none of them were unhappy with their job, except for whenever Prince Vegeta got into a worse mood than usual, and most of the time he would simply dismiss them all anyways, so they wouldn’t have to deal with whatever tantrum he was about to throw.

Goku couldn’t help but ask about the royal family, but he avoided asking _specific_ questions about Vegeta himself, and instead asked about the King: where are his guards, where is _he_ , and what do they do whenever Prince Vegeta dismisses them?

They were not at all surprised by the questions about the Royal House, but they wondered why he didn’t know more and some of them seemed uninterested in speaking about the topic altogether. Eventually, though, they explained that the King is usually travelling, and he takes his guards with him, and that sometimes he’s gone for months at a time. Since Bardock works directly for the King, and most of them know who he is, and that Goku is obviously his son, they asked why Goku didn’t know that, and he told them that since he’s been in the army so long, he’s only ever focused on his own missions and that his father rarely talks business. They shrugged at that and explained that whenever the King returns the whole place celebrates for a night, and then goes back about its business. Other than that, they said that King Vegeta is constantly in meetings, and in his own wing of the building, which none of them are allowed to enter unless expressly invited, but sometimes they are, depending on who’s on shift with Prince Vegeta whenever King Vegeta summons him.

They told him that Prince Vegeta practically runs Planet Vegeta, and he uses guards as more of a “show” than a “need”. It’s clear to them that Vegeta doesn’t feel he should have to have any guards, and that if it were up to him, he wouldn’t have any to begin with. Whenever he tells them to go, they are never missed, but depending on the severity of his attitude at the time of waving them off, they are either to stick around and wait, or get lost completely. He’ll call for them again if he needs them and they promised Goku he’d know the difference.

Goku wasn’t sure he understood but he figured he’d find out soon enough and he thought about Vegeta more often than not, but he denied his personal attraction to him, and chalked it up to wanting to understand what he expected from him and wanting to know more about their upcoming trip to Earth, but he wasn’t so sure he should bring that up to anyone else. He was grateful he hasn’t had a shift where the Prince has called his squad to him, yet- he figured he wasn’t ready and didn’t know if he ever would be.

Once he finally had a day off, he planned to go exploring the surrounding city with Zuko and some of the others, but Raditz called him first thing in the morning and demanded some of his time for the sake of meeting Minala’s father. Goku knew he couldn’t say no, though he wondered how Raditz knew he’d be off today, still, he had to cancel with his fellow coworkers and he met Raditz and Bardock at a restaurant outside of the castle, where they left shortly afterwards to head into one of the surrounding cities, where Minala’s father lives. He wondered at the clear nervousness of his older brother, and the niceness of his clothes, but he didn’t mention either of those things to him, although he desperately wanted to tease him about it.

They came upon the biggest house Goku had ever seen and found that Minala was waiting for them outside. She kissed Raditz, told him not to worry, and smiled at Goku and Bardock, asking everyone to hurry inside, as she explained that her father is eagerly waiting to meet them all.

Dr. Geredi Buro is a tall, burly, handsome man with a seriousness and an awkward intelligent way about him that makes him seem aloof and untouchable. He looks a lot like Raditz, really, but with less hair and darker skin, and although Goku didn’t find him quite as intimidating as Raditz did, he was impressed with him, nonetheless. Geredi was kind but not inviting per se, and Goku quickly learned that Minala is his only child, and that she clearly means very much to him, by the way he shows her affection, even when she chides him on being less than courteous on certain matters, but it wasn’t clear to Goku if she felt that way because he wasn’t friendly, or because she cares so much for Raditz’s poor disposition.

Raditz has been blushing nearly the entire day and is on his best behavior, calling Geredi “sir” and constantly bowing. Goku quickly learned that the doctor is a first-class Saiyan scientist who works directly for a corporation which is tied to Capsule Corp. from Earth, and that he and his colleagues are known to come to the castle from time to time to show off their newest advancements to the King directly.

Bardock was at ease, as usual, and couldn’t help but embarrass Raditz on multiple occasions, to which his eldest son did nothing but endure, and although the stern face of Geredi might make it seem as though he wasn’t one to joke around, he cracked a smile at Bardock’s easygoing charisma and opened up to him, especially upon learning that he was part of the King’s war advisors.

It was only a few hours into their meeting, after they enjoyed an excellent lunch, that Geredi turned to Bardock and said, “Ah, I’ve finally put it together. Where I know you from, hm? Yes, you are him, aren’t you?”

“Hn?” Bardock wondered with simple ignorance.

“Yes,” Geredi smiled, “You are the ruthless third-class warrior everyone talked about during Frieza’s reign. The one that got your whole crew killed. Don’t be shy about it. I know that was you. Minala didn’t tell me Raditz’s father was more famous than me.”

Goku’s ears perked up and Raditz tensed but Bardock laughed and said, “Famous?! I don’t know about that. Stupid maybe, but unfortunately wisdom comes with age, and I guess I never thought I’d live this long, so I never cared to learn anything worthwhile.”

Geredi smirked and his eyes narrowed in on Bardock and he pointed at him as he said, “You’ve kept yourself up all time, yes? You still train? No?”

Bardock was all smiles as he replied, “Train? Well, I fight on occasion, but I wouldn’t say I’m anything special, if that’s what you’re implying! If you’re lucky enough to get to my age you stop thinking of your own gain, but my boys, they’re the fighters, and they have more sense, too!”

“A proud father you must be, then, yes? No, I think you’re bluffing, how about we test that battle strength of yours, Bardock?”

“Father, please,” Minala interrupted, “We aren’t here to measure egos!”

“Not with me!” Geredi cried, “No! I wouldn’t want to fight _him_. His reputation is daunting enough and what if I lost? I would never live it down!” He turned back to Bardock, saying, “Hm. Yes. No, no. I have a machine I think you might be interested in! The Earthlings sent it over. They have one they’re going to show the Prince when he visits next week! But **we** have been working on a way to improve it, and I wanted to test it out on someone, what do you say?”

Bardock stared at him for some time, considering his words, and a queer look passed through his eyes. Geredi didn’t budge as he waited for a response and it seemed the two men were debating wordlessly.

Finally, Bardock cracked a smile and he said, “You’re far too modest, Geredi! For the love of science, I must confess I am interested! And I get the feeling this is a secret to the Royal House, for now, is it not? How clever of you to bring it up. Perhaps you and I can be of some assistance to one another. Show me this contraption and I’ll let Kakarot give it a go! But I’d much rather see how this thing works for myself than to be the one tested on. Then I can hint to the King that you have something up your sleeve he’d love to know about, recommending you further, and keeping myself of interest of His Majesty, and when Kakarot goes to Earth with our Prince he can have an insiders opinion on which machine is better, and be able to help Prince Vegeta negotiate with the upper hand.”

Geredi was delighted to hear such a scheme and he insisted they move at once to the laboratories. The two men walked in tow and seemed to speak another language as they moved quickly through the house.

Minala walked with Raditz and Goku a little way back and said, “Raditz, I don’t know why I never considered it the other day when I met him, but he _is_ that warrior isn’t he? You didn’t tell me that about your father?! And this whole time you were worried my father would be disappointed in you! Sometimes I forget about you and… Frieza…” she trailed off for a moment, and then began again, tugging on Raditz’s arm, “And now this! I should have known he had a secret plan in mind… Goku you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

“What’s going on?” Goku blurted out, unable to help himself, “And what was he talking about… our father let his crew die?”

Raditz told them both, “I don’t want to discuss this right now. It’s not like that, Goku, damn it. You have no idea!” He huffed but he said nothing more.

A sad look crossed Minala’s pretty features and she said, “No, Goku, he didn’t let them die. My father should never have brought that up. And he never should have mentioned this _thing_! It’s supposed to be a secret! He’s too damn smart for his own good. Let’s just… drop it for now.”

Goku was dying to know what all the secrecy was about, and even more intrigued by the sound of a challenge that he knew he was walking in to, and that he knew he wouldn’t turn down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Saiyan Restaurants don't close... Duhh
> 
> Thanks for all the love guys!


	8. 8

CHAPTER 8

Senzu beans are not something easy to come across. They take a long time to grow and the only reason they are even known to planet Earth or planet Vegeta is because of the heiress of Capsule Corporation, Bulma Briefs, who happened to stumble upon the grower of the beans. According to the Elites of the castle, she was in search of something called “Dragon Balls” when she met the cat-man Korin who grows them. As the commerce between the two planets grew and the people of Earth couldn’t help but fear the Saiyans in spite of their good graces towards them, the people of Capsule Corp. decided it best to sell the product to the Royal House as a bartering tool to testify for the humans usefulness and resourcefulness.

Since their discovery, many crop growers on planet Vegeta have tried their hand at duplicating the bean with some success, and while the useful production of them is more widely performed on planet Vegeta than on the Earth, regardless of the lesser effect in the beans on planet Vegeta, the strange plant is still mostly reserved for serious situations, or for those who can afford to hand out their supply at will.

(The idea of the Dragon Balls is a well-kept secret, and those Saiyans who do know of them consider the legend comical at best. The young and beautiful heiress, who is the same age as Prince Vegeta, never found all seven of the balls during her adolescent search some years ago, although claims say she has six of them hidden away, and that she apparently gave up on the challenge sometime in her mid-twenties.)

Thank goodness, though, that Geredi has senzu beans on hand (he is a wealthy scientist, after all, whose studies can at times go awry) otherwise the poor doctor would have had to explain to Prince Vegeta how his brand new guard died before ever even going on duty, and then the cat would have been out of the bag about his precious machine, as the Earthlings say, and their whole scheme would have gone to shit.

Geredi and Bardock hollered in approval, though, the moment Goku woke up. Raditz released a breath he’d been holding in and Minala scolded her father for his carelessness.

“This thing works! Yes!” Geredi grinned, tutting his daughter’s concern away, and he thanked Goku for being so brave inside of the Gravity Chamber.

Goku nodded at him and marveled at the machine he had nearly been killed in. He trained inside for some time at an intensified gravitational force as Geredi continued to turn it up on him in intervals, and everyone watching was impressed with how well Goku was adjusting, and how willing he was to continue to keep pushing his limits, that is, until he collapsed and lost consciousness altogether.

The doctor explained, “Those Earthlings made it according to _their_ natural gravity, mmm, but **ours** is stronger here on Planet Vegeta, so I had it tweaked a bit- Ha! This machine will be more of a challenge to our Prince than their original model, BUT, yes, see, I must figure out a way to get it to notch up slower. Theirs goes from 1 to 2 to 3 g’s at a time, and so on, hm, but since I recalibrated it to our standards, it jumps ten-fold every time I kick it up, instead of little by little. No, no, I knew it, already. I’m sorry. I was afraid of that. But, _bravo_ , that was quite a show! I think the Prince will be impressed, no?!”

Bardock and Geredi continued to discuss the machine for some time, but the night was closing in and Minala told her father that the travel back home for the Son family would take a while and that unfortunately they had to go soon. Geredi understood but waved his daughter’s concern off and threw another device at them. Goku insisted he wouldn’t need help, since he didn’t have to go so far (and he was not interested in using another one of the Earthling’s contraptions of laziness, although he _was_ interested in the Gravity Machine and could see it’s benefits right away), but Bardock and Raditz, upon instruction to open the capsule once they were outside, grew excited about trying out the craft. Geredi explained that it would take them where they’re going in no time, and in style, and he told Bardock to keep it, as a gift, explaining that he would need to be able to come by again quickly, especially after their grandchild is born. Bardock couldn’t have been more pleased, but Raditz just blushed and thanked him meekly.

They said their goodbyes and parted ways shortly afterwards and Goku had a lot to think about, but not time to do so, as once he got back to his room, he realized that even with the magic of the senzu bean, he was exhausted, and he checked his schedule for the next day, set an alarm, and went straight to sleep.

When he showed up to train the next day, with so much more on his mind as he thought of a way to tell the Prince about the Gravity Machine, he was pleased to find his armor waiting for him and he admired it for a few minutes, glimpsing into the dark metals and finely crafted curves, before joining the rest of the men to do their early rounds of training.

After the warmup and the drills came the combat and although he was distracted, he was still holding up well. In fact, he couldn’t help but notice how much stronger he’s become, and neither could the rest of the guards. He got in a solid hit one of the Elites, and they were impressed, but pissed all the same, and demanded to know how he’s gotten so strong within only a week’s time. Goku laughed nervously and could only respond that he’s been eating well and that he got a good night’s sleep. They pummeled him after that. He had to be sent to the regeneration tanks to recover, but that was the last time they signaled him out for a fight.

He had been summoned by the Prince for the first time that day and when Vegeta found out he couldn’t perform his duties because of the negligence of his own guards he was not happy about it, and he let them all know it. They never mentioned it to Goku after the fact, but they treated him like one of them from there on out.

The next day, after training of course, Goku was to report directly with some of his fellow guards for the needs of Prince Vegeta and his nervousness grew exponentially with every passing moment. They told him not to speak unless spoken to and to try and keep up with any orders which might get thrown their way. He wondered if he would get a moment to speak with Vegeta himself about their upcoming plans to go to Earth, and the thought wouldn’t leave him, nor would the idea of being near him again stop plaguing him.

When they finally met up with the Prince, Vegeta never stopped to speak to any of them, they just fell in line, encircling his Highness as he made his way through the castle and into the courts, in a part of the castle which Goku had never seen. A meeting was going to be held that required Vegeta’s men there to make him look good. At that point, the men and women of the guard, all six of them, stood by as the Prince sat at a around table and discussed planetary issues with some councilmen of the courts of Saiyans and some aliens Goku had never seen the likes of before.

It was boring. And long. Goku took this time to memorize everyone’s faces and tried to remember their names. He took in the patterns on the wall and on the floor, and he noticed camera’s in the ceiling and the paperwork skewed about, but there was nothing of interest to him in the room other than the rough but addictive sound of Prince Vegeta’s voice.

Once the meeting was over Goku and the others followed Vegeta around for some time, and eventually the Prince dismissed them for a moment as he stopped by another room. The Guards mumbled to Goku that they were to keep watch, and listen in for anything that sounded questionable, though they doubted anything interesting would happen.

“It’s always like this,” Felia murmured and sneered with the slight lift of her upper lip, “ **Dreary**.”

Goku was exasperated. He didn’t understand their purpose, but he kept his mouth shut and did as he was told. He tried to think of something meaningful to help with the passing of time, but nothing else came to mind other than the Prince himself. Well, him, and the fact that he can’t help but admit that he isn’t sure he can handle how dull this job really is.

Once Vegeta came back out of the room they continued to follow him around for a while longer. He seemed to pass friends and acquaintances alike, some of whom he stopped to speak with, but most of them he simply nodded at, until at last he dismissed his guards, this time for good for the rest of the day and the men and women parted ways on their own accord, bowing as they left.

Goku, however, didn’t see himself getting another chance, and at a last-minutes thought, he trailed quietly behind the Prince as he walked briskly through the halls.

He was waiting for the right moment to call after him and trying to think of something to say when he did, when Vegeta suddenly took a sharp turn. As Goku came around the corner, Vegeta was waiting for him, and he whispered harshly, “ _Kakarot_! Why are you _following_ me?!”

Goku startled and bowed, not really knowing what’s come over him, but he answered, anyways, “Your Highness, I-”

Looking around for a moment to see that no one else was near, Vegeta growled out quickly and quietly, “Have they not instructed you properly, yet? I’ll be sure to have the situation corrected,” he looked Goku from one eye to the next, but he didn’t turn away.

Goku took his chances, stirred by the thought of continuing this conversation, and blurted out, “I have something to tell you and I have questions, Sire…”

Vegeta’s eyes held his as he snubbed, “Do you?” and with that he turned away again and began walking, but as he did he called out to him, saying, “If you must, come with me now. Hurry!”

Goku practically leapt to catch up to him and he followed closely as he whispered, “Thank you, your Highness, I-”

Vegeta held up a hand to stop him from speaking and then entered swiftly into a room nearby, closing the door after Goku followed him inside. He destroyed the cameras on the ceilings with accurate ki blasts, walked through the room and took off his scouter, placing it on a table, and then looked at Goku in earnest. Finally, he said, placing one hand on his hip and the other on the desk, “What is it?! You must have something of great importance to tell me!” he said snidely, “Either that or you wish to annoy me!”

Goku realized that although he did have things to tell him, he didn’t have anything planned, exactly, and as he searched Vegeta’s face he had a hard time summoning the right words to say, whatever they may be. He removed his scouter as well, and placed it on a shelf nearby as he answered, sweetly, “I’m not trying to annoy you…”

Vegeta stood very still, and his eyes looked him up and down for a moment as he waited, with practiced indifference and less patience than he was letting on, for Goku to explain himself.

Goku stuttered, feeling trapped under his gaze, but he told him honestly, standing his ground, “I… Look, this whole thing is new to me and I want to know that I’m going to be of some good use to you.” Vegeta raised a brow at that comment and Goku added, laughing a little as he thought back on his first day on the job, “Is it all just walking about pretending to be security to a man who clearly doesn’t need it? And- Am I still supposed to go with you to Earth?” Vegeta’s eyes narrowed at him but Goku was still explaining himself and he said, “I’m an army brat, your Highness, I’m used to orders and missions. And I don’t understand the castle’s protocol as well as the others.”

Then Vegeta smirked and snickered and said, “Clearly!” and it seemed he wasn’t as angry as Goku thought he might be, or as harsh as they claimed he could be. He began to walk towards Goku and Goku couldn’t tell what was on his mind, but he was well aware of his body language, and although he couldn’t decipher it, he also couldn’t help but watch him with a quaint desire.

 _‘What am I thinking?!’_ Goku nearly shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts and he blurted out, “I’m sorry,” and he smiled a little and sighed. He was glad to see the Prince loosen up a bit, but nervous as he approached him, nonetheless. He explained, “I know this is probably silly to you, but it’s hard to sit around and wait for the answers when I knew I could just come to you directly with my questions, even though, I guess I’m not supposed to.” He held his gaze for another moment before admitting, “I _do_ have some information you might like to hear, but it’s hard to explain, and I… I want to know what to expect upon travelling with you, if that is still in your plans, Sire.”

Vegeta stood still and examined him for another long moment of silence. Then he smirked again before he observed, coming even closer to him, “Just an _army brat_ … _Pretending_ to be a Guard… And you want to be of _use_ to me…? I’ve never heard such remarks before!” His eyes were calculating and curious as he added, “Upon my assessment of you so far, Kakarot, you’re just stumbling through life without a single goal in mind or thought in your head other than what’s immediately in front of you. Is that not so? Even your higher-ups said that you willingly walk into battle and then sleep away afterwards like it was nothing,” another strange look crossed his features and before Goku could say anything, he snipped at him again, “Your eagerness could very easily be misinterpreted as ungratefulness. Your statements are contradictory. Are you unhappy your new status and position? Is there something that you’d rather be doing?”

Goku was at a loss for words as far as explaining himself, but his mind was full of thoughts about the Prince, and as he looked down into Vegeta’s handsome face, he replied in an attempt to provoke him, against his better judgement, “No, but am I to believe that you are so different from me, your Highness?”

“What was that?!” Vegeta’s brow raised and there was a slight upturn of his lips as he asked for clarification, and he came to a stop right in front of him, just as close as they had been the other day, if not closer.

Goku exclaimed, standing tall and remaining calm, in spite of Vegeta’s attempt to get a rise out of him, “Surely you’re not wholly content with your lot- who is? I’ve seen the look in your eyes, you’d rather be doing something else, other than _that_.” He gestured to the hallway, meaning the meetings they’d just suffered through, and then he added, “I’m **not** ungrateful, but, it is true that I focus on what’s right in front of me, and maybe I’m being a little reckless for saying so, but I’d rather be focused on something with purpose than working just for a paycheck and constantly searching for something meaningless just to entertain myself, and if I am forced to entertain myself, I’d much rather do so with training, or some other useful exercise.”

Vegeta thought for a moment as his eyes searched Goku’s face, and then smirked at him as he said, humorously, “Perhaps you need to find a good hobby. Or get laid.”

Goku blushed and replied, “I- What do either of those things have to do with what we’re talking about?” _‘What_ are _we talking about?’_

Vegeta continued to smirk, ignoring Goku’s question, and stating in confidence with the lift of his chin, and his eyes were seductive as he said, “You’re very wound up for someone who has gotten so much opportunity in so young a life.”

With his heart pounding in his chest at how close the Prince is, and how much he’s practically teasing him, Goku answered, “And you’re very wound up for someone who can get anything he wants but still hasn’t found joy in any of it.”

“How dare you?! Is there anything else you’d like to add?! Since you have me alone…” Vegeta growled quietly and narrowed his eyes at him, but there was something more peculiar than maliciousness in his gaze.

“Actually, yes,” Goku hesitated, and he barely breathed as his thoughts were clouded with less than appropriate desires. He waited a moment, and even thought Vegeta might slap him, but Vegeta was just staring, and whatever he was thinking wasn’t clear, and Goku couldn’t help but admit, listlessly, “I’ve been thinking about you ever since the other morning… You’ve been so ruthless in your attacks on my character and ability. Are you trying to get a rise out of me?”

Then Vegeta’s smirk widened and his eyes smoldered, and he said, suggestively, leaning closer, “So what if I am?”

Goku smiled back and leaned closer, unable to resist the temptation, and replied in a bluff, “It’s not working…”

“No?” Vegeta said, and they shared a challenging gaze. Then, before Goku could add to his lie, or even acknowledge what was happening, Vegeta kissed him, pushing him up against the wall by his shoulders and pressing their lips together, he kissed him. Goku’s hands came up touch his armored body, and then moved up his arms to his neck, and then to his face as he returned his kiss with fervency and let the Prince’s smaller body fit snugly against his as he fell into him, and his mind whirred on in endless thoughts and emotions.

His body woke up under the friction and he could feel Vegeta’s legs pushing against his and his hips found the dip just beneath Goku’s hardening cock. He moaned in between nips and Vegeta tugged on his armor, pulling him down as he continued their kiss, cocking his head to the side as he invited Goku’s tongue into his mouth, and returned the gesture with his own. One of the Prince’s hands tugged roughly at Goku’s hair and he bit his lips in turn, shifting their position ever so slightly, so he could get a little bit closer, but he pulled away after only a few more moments of passionate exploration, using both of his hands now to hold Goku against the wall by his armored shoulders, and his eyes seemed to be searching his face for something as they caught their breath.

Vegeta told him, his dark voice alluring under such circumstances, “You don’t know anything about me, Kakarot.” He began to pull away slightly as he explained, “But I confess I do love a good challenge.”

Goku replied, turned all the way on, “So do I.”

“Hn,” Vegeta answered, and he glanced at Goku’s lips and lingered close as he added in a whisper, “I’ve let you speak out of line several times and I want you to know that my response isn’t always been so favorable, but… kissing you was a good idea,” he let the thought linger before he added, in afterthought, “You better have something **damn** good to say to me right now. You said you have something to tell me. What is it?”

Goku quietly caught his breath, his fingers still lingering on the Prince’s clothes, unwilling to let him go as his mind raced, and finally he replied in kind, “You like to train, right? Maybe even as much as I do…” Vegeta quirked a brow at him, and Goku could tell he was wondering if he was being playful or not, so he smiled softly, indicating that he was, and told him, “The Earthlings have a surprise for you- I think you’re going to like it- but I know someone who’s already working on improvements for it, and I think you should check it out before we go to Earth. That’s part of why I wanted to know if I’m still going with you.”

Vegeta eased up some more, seeming to come back to himself, as though a shadow was casting over the raw emotion that he had just revealed, and he replied, “Hm, is that so?” and he moved back completely and turned away from him and said, “You could have started out this conversation with that information, you know,” as he walked back over to the table.

Goku lifted off of the wall, every fiber in his being on fire, and he didn’t know what he should be thinking or doing, but after a moment he bit his lip as he explained, trying to remain on topic, “I only learned about it yesterday… It’s hard to explain.”

Vegeta picked up his scouter, still with his back to him, and he said as he put it on, “Is that why you were so eager to speak with me?” And then he turned to him, crossed his arms, and wondered, accusingly, “I was under the impression that you don’t want to go to Earth?”

Goku’s mouth closed and he took in a deep breath, totally unsure of what just happened, or better yet, what _is_ happening, and unable to process it just yet, so he couldn’t think of anything to say and he didn’t want to lie.

Vegeta smirked and chuckled as he stated, “I see. You don’t know, now, do you?” and there was a small spark in his eyes suggesting that there might be more of _that_ down the line if he keeps his tail brushed.

Goku laughed at himself for a moment, embarrassed under his close watch, and leery with his own thoughts, before he explained, “I love the Earth. It’s a beautiful planet, I’ve been there before, several times. It’s not that.” He fumbled for a moment as he went to grab his own scouter and put it on, as well, feeding off Vegeta’s ever changing energy.

“Yes, I know,” Vegeta nodded, and by now he has done a good job of ridding the emotion from his face that was there only a few moments before. He added, “You were the infant sent there who hit his head and forgot his mission. Your nickname: it’s berating.”

Goku told him, more serious than before, wanting to be understood, “I don’t care about that, it wasn’t supposed to be, it only turned into something else after… But the people there, they aren’t like us. They don’t value things like we do, and they do less for the betterment of themselves and more for their immediate desires, and I’m afraid their habits are becoming ours, and that it’s changing our people’s lives for the worse, but it seems that opinion isn’t the popular one. It’s not that I don’t like them, I just don’t want our ways to become theirs.”

Vegeta listened but he did not immediately reply, and it seemed to Goku, again, that there is much on his mind. The Prince told him, “You will make arrangements for me to go see this thing tomorrow. Afterwards, perhaps we can discuss the plans to leave a little further, but other than that, I think you would do well for yourself to keep this business between us.”

Goku nodded and then remembered himself and bowed, and then he left quietly, unsure of what to do, or how to go about his new assignment, or what to think about anything. All he _could_ think about was their kiss the whole way back to his room, and it took much too long to get there, but he made a beeline for it as nonchalantly as he could and practically ran inside.

He sighed as he sat on his couch and groaned as he considered the Prince’s words over and over again. His skin was still burning, and his head was fuzzy with more intimate thoughts than he should be entertaining, but it couldn’t be helped.

It has been some time since he’s been laid. He threw his armor off in haste and shifted, laying down on his back on the couch, one foot on the ground and the other leg bent and leaning against the back cushion of the couch. He needed release. Now.

He was getting hard while the Prince was kissing him, but here, alone in his own room, with nothing but enflamed emotions, his cock was already rock solid and couldn’t be ignored. Neither could his thoughts of Vegeta. He groaned in frustration as he reached down and rubbed himself for a moment through the cloth of his pants before lifting his hips to pull them down, along with his boxers, watching as he freed his dick completely and it bounced on its own accord. He closed his eyes as he fisted it, feeling the heat and the pulsing of it. He moaned gently as he began to jerk off to the thought of Vegeta. It was still so fresh in his mind. The way he pushed him up against the wall, the way he played with his lips, how his tongue slid inside of his mouth as his body pressed into his. He let out a small whine as he thought of it again and again. His hips fit so perfectly beneath his. It felt so good. His scent in his nose, his soft lips, and the taste of his mouth. His smooth skin and his strong hands…

 _‘So what if I am?’_ he had said, and he sounded so sexy.

It didn’t take long for Goku to cum and a light moan escaped his lips as his eyes fluttered open and he caught his breath. He sat up and looked down at the mess he’d made with satisfaction he hadn’t felt in a while. At least, not the type of satisfaction that comes from jacking off with someone in mind.

He laid back down again for a few moments to think things over, but eventually he got up and headed to take a shower and he thought about how he was going to convince Raditz to help him get ahold of Geredi and how he was going to persuade the doctor to allow the Prince to come see the Gravity Machine in such a short time.

But more than that, he thought of how much trouble he was going to be in if he actually ended up having feelings other than lust for his Prince, and he tried his best to think of him as nothing more than a handsome man that would never really be his. Ah, but the way he enticed him… the way he looked at him… the way he _kissed_ him… He knew deep down that he wanted more. Maybe _then_ he could let it go. He should definitely let it go.

After trying his damnedest all night long to think of a way to get Raditz to give him Geredi’s number, which his brother refused on all accounts, not understanding the seriousness of the situation, and wholly disbelieving he would even ask, (Goku didn’t tell him because he didn’t know if should be discussing it) he decided that the best thing he could think of was also probably the most careless, but he figured it wouldn’t get him in as much trouble as it would if he didn’t manage to get Vegeta to the Gravity Machine at all.

It was early the next morning and he was getting ready to head to his scheduled training session with some of the others when he got the transmission on his scouter that the Prince requested to see him immediately. Happy to be called to it so soon, he threw his armor on and headed to the location stated, asking guards for directions on the way, and upon arrival he noticed immediately that the only man with the Prince was General Nappa.

“Kakarot! It took you long enough! Is everything set for today?” Prince Vegeta barked at him.

Goku kneeled and then stood up and answered, “Yes, your Highness. Well…”

“Well then, let’s go! I don’t like waiting around!”

That much was obvious. Goku nodded, ignoring his own emotions for now, just as Vegeta was pretending that nothing had happened, and he figured the unexpected visit would just have to end up being a surprise for both men. He headed out of the castle’s nearest exit, took to the sky to figure out the direction of the city, and with that the three of them were off.

When they arrived Prince Vegeta asked Goku where they were, and he told them they were at Dr. Geredi Buro’s house.

“Dr. Buro?!” Vegeta snapped, “I thought you said you had something to show me of great interest! Why are we at someone’s _house_?”

Goku laughed and said, “Your Highness, please, just trust me.”

Vegeta frowned but Goku noticed something else flicker behind his eyes before he turned to lead the way. He wasn’t sure if it was something good or bad, but he ignored it and headed towards the front door. Vegeta followed him up the steps and Nappa was close behind. Goku knocked on the entrance and a man came to greet them, but it was not Geredi. Upon opening the door, however, Goku was not given the chance to explain. The man immediately went into a frenzy at having the Prince come to see them and explained that he had no idea he was coming and that he would let the master of the house know of his arrival immediately. He ushered them inside and offered them refreshments, to which they refused, and Vegeta’s eye twitched in annoyance, but with that the man ran off to go find the scientist.

Vegeta turned to Goku and said, “They didn’t know we were coming. I thought you said you set this up!?”

Goku scratched the back of his head and laughed, but he didn’t bother explaining himself. Vegeta grew increasingly irritated at his silence, but he figured saying nothing at all would get him in less trouble than explaining that they were basically intruding.

A few moments later Geredi came swiftly into the room and he kneeled before Prince Vegeta with a smug look on his face. Once the Prince told him to stand, slightly annoyed regardless of how kind Geredi and his servant has been, Geredi did so and immediately began to speak with alarming insight, a genial attitude, and fast wit as he ushered the Prince through the house to the item he assumed he was here to see. Goku was grateful Geredi is as proud of himself as he is intelligent, and also happy he wasn’t mad at having the Prince come to see him without warning, but with the way he was acting, it almost seemed as though he knew this was going to happen.

“Your Highness!” Geredi was saying, as they followed him through the enormous home, “I am so glad you could come! Yes! Hmm, and so quickly, well, I like the urgency of the Royal house. Quickly now! I’m sure you’ll be pleased…”

Vegeta listened attentively to the doctor’s odd speech as he went on and Goku smiled as he watched the Prince’s subtle reactions to him.

By the time they got into the labs and Geredi brought Vegeta up to the machine, Goku could tell it took everything in the Prince not to act completely impressed by what he was looking at, and as Geredi explained how it worked, and what use it could be, Vegeta began to grin and listened to him ever closely. The scientist told the Prince of his machine, how he came upon it, the difference in the one from Earth and the one they’ve been working on, and it’s practical uses, and Vegeta was visibly delighted, but disappointed to hear that it hasn’t been completely fine-tuned yet.

“Kakarot tried it out for himself, already! And I suggest you let him test the Earthling’s design as well, in case it’s some type of trap, yes? No, I don’t think it will be, though, why send me one? And, well, I guess I shouldn’t have said that in front of you, boy, but I think you can manage, hmm?” Geredi was saying.

Vegeta then dismissed both Kakarot and Nappa from the room as he asked to speak to Geredi alone for a while.

Nappa, upon having a moment to himself, asked Goku how he was so fortunate to have come upon this information. “And how does Bardock know someone like Dr. Buro? I know he used to do this kind of work, but thought his focus stayed mainly at the castle?”

“Well!” Goku explained what he could timidly, “Dr. Buro is Minala’s father, and she’s, uh, Raditz’s lover.”

The General’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “I nearly forgot, Raditz is going to be a father,” he grinned, “So, he must have finally given in and met his soon-to-be father-in-law. Now I can see why he was so nervous this whole time. Shit. He would have asked her to commit to him years ago if he hadn’t been so afraid of her dad. Haha.”

Goku wondered at learning that information, and was pleased to hear his General speak to him in such a friendly manner, even if he did seem to be talking mostly to himself, but Goku didn’t have anything to say in response, so he just nodded right along and they continued to wait for Vegeta and Geredi to finish their business. He wondered, too, at the details that Nappa seemed to know about his brother. He silently realized that he probably knows more about Raditz than even he does, and he couldn’t help but admit that perhaps he doesn’t know his brother very well, at all. His _base_ character, yes, but, that’s not the same as being a _friend_.

He had some time to muse on these thoughts and more before Vegeta and Geredi finally emerged from the labs. Geredi was asking his Majesty if he would stay for lunch but the Prince declined, and instead promised Dr. Buro a fine dinner at the castle at his earliest convenience, which he accepted gratefully, but vowed he wouldn’t take him up on it until the project was completed and he jokingly asked for permission to borrow Kakarot for his next experiment, at least Goku thought he was kidding, Vegeta smirked in response. Geredi called one of his servants to him at that and asked him to lead the three men to the exit.

Vegeta was exceptionally pleased and he said so and with that he turned to his two men and the servant and told them he was ready to head back, and they began to leave.

Goku thanked Geredi for his time as he followed quickly after the Prince and Nappa nodded courteously at him and congratulated him on soon becoming a grandfather.

“Ah!” Geredi smirked, “Thank you, General! And perhaps it won’t be long for you, your Highness, to become a father, yes?” Vegeta halted for a moment, but his facial expression was hidden, and he immediately kept walking as Geredi continued on, saying, “It would please the planet, I’m sure you know. Hmmm. It’s such a wonderful feeling. Good day. Good-bye!” and he turned away himself and swiftly headed back inside of his labs. Vegeta never looked back.

Once they returned to the castle Vegeta told Kakarot he would not require his assistance for the day any longer and recommended he take some time to himself and with that he left with General Nappa close beside him.

Goku was beside himself as he watched him leave. He knew less what to do than what to think and he knew of nothing to think about that wouldn’t get him into trouble or be a complete waste of time. He huffed as he turned away and began to head back to his room with new, refreshing thoughts of food on his mind.

He took off his armor, sent a transmission to a few of his fellow guards to see if anyone was free, grabbed his pay card and then headed out for a change. He figured that since he’d gotten the rest of the day off, he might as well take it, and enjoy a meal well earned.

Zuko, Rictor, and Halise replied quickly and met up with him on short notice, excited to finally get the chance to hang out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've sat on this long enough.  
> Enjoy!  
> And thanks for all the love!


	9. 9

CHAPTER 9

A week passed and Goku was beginning to get a little bit more comfortable with his new surroundings, bountiful “housemates”, and random, rigorous routine at the castle. It reminded him a little bit of the army, at least for his part to play in his new home, but everything surrounding him was so wholly unlike the army that it was difficult to stand by the comparison. Besides, for all he knew he was going to be leaving soon, so he didn’t want to get too comfortable. Dr. Buro had mentioned that Prince Vegeta would be heading out to Earth sometime this week and Goku hasn’t heard anything more about it since. The thought has been heavier on his mind than he wanted to admit, not that he has anyone to talk to about it.

Raditz and Bardock both came back from vacation a day or so ago and he’s been able to see them in passing, and assumed they’d be able to hang out on occasion in the future. His family quickly introduced him to some of their colleagues, and he wasn’t sure he would have met them if not for his connections, since most people at the castle walked hurriedly and kept to their own friendships, but he was grateful that his circle was growing with their help, even if his normal cheery attitude couldn’t be dulled by his own, now heightened, insignificance.

After all, some of the Saiyans in the castle ignore him entirely, snub their nose at him in passing, and/or are altogether generally less than inviting, but that sort of thing never affected Goku much and he, while having the capability to make friends easily, didn’t rely upon them to keep him happy. He focused most of his time on his new job and training opportunities and the rest of it on exploring the surrounding city and eating lots of good food.

It was a busy day, as it seemed to him that most days at the castle are, and he had just sat down and began eating lunch with Zuko when they both received a transmission requesting that all the Prince’s bodyguards meet Hanes and Jero at their usual spot. Goku mumbled around his food that he wasn’t done eating and began stuffing everything down as fast as he could. Zuko agreed in similar fashion, and then there came music, soft at first, but growing loud and proud.

Zuko grinned at Goku as he heard the music, swallowed his bite and said, “Fuck, we have to hurry!”

The music was unlike anything Goku has ever heard before, and he turned this way and that to see where it was coming from, not understanding Zuko’s sudden change of mood. Then the whole castle went into an uproar. Even the barracks of the army never got this excited, but excitement was clearly what was filling the air as surely as the music was professing. Everyone started cheering, even the servants, and people everywhere started running amuck.

Goku turned to Zuko and asked him, “What’s going on? Where’s everyone going?”

Zuko laughed as he stuffed the last of his lunch in his mouth, gathered his things, and stood up to head out of the cafeteria, “They’re going to get ready, of course.”

“The King is home!” Someone cried and Goku looked around in awe at the joy on everyone’s faces.

It’s the first time he’s been home since declaring the war to be over and Goku was struck with many questions and wondered briefly if he would get the chance to see him up close. Why hadn’t anyone mentioned he was on his way back before today?

Zuko was smiling just as broadly as everyone else as he explained, “There’s going to be some party in the castle tonight!”

“Party?” Goku wondered, following him and dodging people as they moved to a less congested area, heading to the location of their impromptu meeting, “I thought the others were kidding about that. Are we invited?”

“Everyone’s invited! They can’t regulate those things! Besides, we’re part of the _Royal Guard_ , Goku! We’re **expected** to be there!” Zuko practically skipped his way along the halls, and he turned and pointed at Goku, saying, “You’ll probably have a new uniform to wear, too, hopefully they put it in your room, already.”

“How come we’re just now hearing about this?” Goku said as he kept up with his friends quickening pace.

Zuko waved him off, “The Royal House operates on a need to know basis, and we only find out when we need to know,” he laughed again, “Let’s see what they’re saying back at the regulation area. I’m sure that’s why they summoned us,” he grinned, and to Goku his response seemed too nonchalant for the occasion.

By the time they reached their destination most of the guard had been gathered there, indeed, for both princes, too, and they were only waiting for a few more before starting to explain to them what was going to be expected for the duration of the evening. Everyone there was smiling, and it was the best collective mood Goku has ever seen them all in and he wondered about what type of man the King must be for everyone to be so happy about his return. A few more came in quickly and then Jero turned to Hanes impatiently and declared it time to continue.

Hanes nodded, looking through his clipboard of whatever lists and notes he seemed to always carry with him, and began with a sigh, “Whatever the others miss, just fill them in, we can’t wait any longer. Prince Tarble insisted that the following men be available for his services: Bleen, Eranu…”

Goku whispered to his friend, “I thought you said we were invited! You didn’t say we might have to work.”

Zuko shushed as he listened in to hear what names were being called, but he whispered back, “It’s an honor to work tonight. Believe me, it’s not all standing around…”

Goku looked around the room and watched the faces of the men and women as he heard Hanes saying, “And for Prince Vegeta: Coury, Druer, Hiler…”

Goku’s nervousness returned and he couldn’t imagine what tonight might hold for him. He hoped his name wouldn’t be called.

“…Son, Talor…”

Of course, his name _would_ be called. He is a rookie, after all, and he figured that some of them might get seniority for things like this, at least, that’s how it was in the army.

Suddenly he felt a little nervous. He was terrified of messing up, even more so because he didn’t know the temperament of the King, plus, he’s the **King** , good or bad temperament didn’t matter! He’s a Super Saiyan besides that and anyone in their right mind would be anxious to be in the same room with him, much less near him.

Jero said, “As for everyone else, you know what’s expected of you. Don’t get sloppy in there, make a good representation of yourselves, for the love of the planet, and that means you, especially, Rictor.” Several of the men and women snickered and Rictor laughed in guilt. Goku couldn’t help but smile as he wondered what he did to get called out like that and Jero added, “You’ll all get the transmission to head to the celebration room when it’s time. We don’t know anything more, oh, and wear the proper uniform and _try_ to keep it on this time, Kazul.” Laughter broke out again and with that Hanes and Jero bid them farewell until later in the evening.

Goku continued to smile to himself in spite being called to duty as Zuko muttered, “I wish I had their job; they don’t have to do shit but tell us what to do.”

Goku chuckled at that remark and noticed his brother coming up to them from the hallway. He waved and asked Raditz more about this good news everyone is talking about.

Smiling back at him, Raditz said, “It’s going to be amazing. Are you working?” Goku nodded and Raditz explained, with a brotherly slap on the back, “Good, then you won’t have the opportunity to make a fool of yourself!”

“Oh, and you won’t?!” one of Raditz’s friends said as he came up from behind him.

Raditz snorted and scoffed playfully in reply and turned to greet him and Goku noticed that as the bodyguards were clearing out apparently it was the army Commanders and Generals turn to have their meeting. He bid his brother farewell and left, following Zuko and Rictor quickly through the singing hallways.

Zuko was right, they had given him a brand-new extravagant wardrobe to wear for tonight, including new armor, which held the crest of the Vegeta house on the chest. He met Goku at his room and helped him find his way to the celebration room, which he hasn’t been too, yet, but they parted ways shortly after since Zuko didn’t have to work. He told Goku to find him later on as some of the other guards found him and dragged him along with them to find his place in their succession.

As he walked through the immensely large room he noticed that what he concluded to be _everyone_ **is** there, and in their best, and they were all was dancing and laughing and clowning about as though absolutely nothing mattered other than being right here, right now. The musicians played liked they were playing for themselves, and even the servers seemed to be having a good time. There was also food at every corner, and it smelled so good Goku wasn’t sure he was going to be able to stop himself from straying off to have some.

Generally overwhelmed and fascinated by the display of gaiety around him, the guards led him to his place with them, and those organizing the event told them all, Tarble’s and Vegeta’s men, to wait in front of two large double doors where they would stand until the Princes arrived. The other guards talked about the exciting news and told Goku to simply follow their lead once the Royal House arrived. He heard many comments from the men and women remarking on the couples they saw, friends and such, and the events that they hoped to partake in later on in the evening.

Luckily for Goku several waiters and waitresses came by and offered them food and drink, he declined the drink, but took some of the food gratefully. All of them stood impatiently, and some of them did have a drink while they did so, and it was clear, by about forty-five minutes in, that the people attending the celebration weren’t any less eager than they were, and they kept looking over to the large doors, expecting the Royal House to come through them any moment, and time flew and dragged all the same.

A few important looking men called for the music to stop a little while later, and everyone was hushed as the doors were opened from the other side, and several men Goku has never seen before came marching in. This other group of men stopped, finding their own spot in the chain, and they waited for the crowd to gather around and hush. Then, one man with a booming voice proudly introduced Prince Tarble first, as Prince Tarble Enduinim, and when he entered the scene, those bold enough to catch a glance at him saw a handsome young Prince, indeed. He went and stood by the thrones but did not sit. Everyone stood back up.

The men then introduced Prince Vegeta Endulion, and Goku, wondering at the nickname’s he’s never heard before, couldn’t help bowing a little slowly so that he could watch him, even if only for a second, and he was convinced that the sight of him took his very breath away in that moment.

But no one dared look upon the King as he came through, and as he was introduced, King Vegeta Endoliarin, and there was nothing but silence. It wasn’t until the King told everyone to stand up again that a small murmur began to grow throughout the onlookers.

Then the men of the King’s guard, which were the ones who introduced the Royal House, took their places directly behind the throne, then Vegeta’s, a few yards behind them, which Goku simply followed suit, unsure of himself, then Tarble’s, on the sides of the room to either side of the throne. The King spoke to the group at large, and Goku wished he could see his face, but from his position behind and a little to the side of the thrones, he couldn’t see anything of detail besides their capes and their iconic hair.

Whatever the King said was brief and concise, and Goku didn’t hear a word of it, much too engrossed in his own thoughts. It was as though everything he said went in one ear and out the other. His own vision seemed distracted as he surveyed the room and he noticed that everyone in it was paying close attention to the Royal House, and, if he didn’t know any better, he’d think that they wanted something from them. But it was a silly thought, and he dismissed it the moment it came, and he didn’t understand what such a thought could possibly mean. Once the King’s speech was over, everyone clapped and cried out, and then King Vegeta took his seat, followed by his sons, and the party resumed.

Goku spent the next hour watching almost all of the men and women present take turns coming up to the King and his son’s and offering them either a physical gift, some sort of thanks, some sort of praise, or some sort of information. Goku tried to hear what was being said, but he was a little ways away, so what he could hear he didn’t understand, and the rest couldn’t be deciphered as the music and chatter and laughter from about them was too loud.

Still he watched, and still he wondered about many things, but he didn’t know what to think about any of it. He didn’t see a suspicious looking character in the bunch and wondered about why they needed the guards there in the first place.

After another thirty minutes King Vegeta leaned over to his left to tell Tarble something, and then over to his right to tell something to Vegeta. Then he called his main guardsmen over to him and gave them orders, which they delivered to the rest of the men of the guard.

One of them gathered the Princes’ guards together and said, “You may go and enjoy yourselves, or leave if you so choose, the King’s men can handle things from here, but I think that at least two of you may want to remain present for the duration of the Princes’ time at the congregation, one for Prince Tarble and one for Prince Vegeta, and only after they decide to leave may you go about your own business, as well. Decide amongst yourselves.” With that he left swiftly.

Goku looked around at the others who seemed more miserable than himself at having been told that one of them will have to work tonight. He said in pity, “I’ll stay,” and the rest of the men in his squad praised him and ran off. One man was volunteered from Tarble’s side of things, and then they all separated.

Goku was just walking down from behind the thrones, on his way to get a stiff drink, some way off from the center of things, when he heard a strong voice call out for his father. He looked up to see if his father was there, but he hadn’t seen him out in the crowd earlier, so he kept searching. The man called out again, and upon turning back, he saw Prince Vegeta motioning for him and to come at once, with serious eyes and a stern pout on his lips, and he suddenly realized that _he_ was being mistaken for _Bardock,_ and that the man calling out for him was the _King._

Goku turned, gulped, and came hither, climbing up the steps slowly, but not too slowly, to stand before the King and his sons. He knelt and he did not look up.

Tarble could be heard laughing a little and Prince Vegeta spoke briskly explaining, “This is Kakarot! Bardock’s youngest! I haven’t seen Bardock yet tonight, my Lord.”

“Stand!” The King’s voice bellowed and Goku did as he was commanded.

He finally got to see him up close and more personal than he had intended. He looks like a king if he ever imagined one- strong, proud, and thoughtful- and although he knew what he looked like before tonight, he couldn’t help but think that Tarble is right, Prince Vegeta does favor him very much. All three men were dressed ravishingly, but the King wore a crown, distinguishing him from the others in a distinct way, as though his age and his manner weren’t enough. Now that Goku had a real chance to look at them, he noticed that Prince Vegeta chose different styles of black and seemed rather less enthusiastic and more brooding, where the other two adorned clothing with much more color and their eyes smiled and danced.

The King surveyed him with a mysterious gaze and scratched his beard as he looked him over. Then he said to Tarble, in a booming voice, “What’s so funny?”

Tarble grinned, “He looks so much like Bardock, I’m not surprised you thought so, too,” and he winked at Goku.

Goku smiled back at Tarble’s sweetness but turned more serious when the King remarked, smirking at Goku, “Yes, well, the armor should have been a dead giveaway- You’re too well dressed to be Bardock! Your father’s never so serious about anything anymore! Except for battle, and only when engaged, and I can’t deny that I am eager to speak with him, tonight,” Then he added, “So! You’re the contest winner, hmm? And you’ll be the one going with my son…?” he mused for a moment before adding, “Good!” and then he chuckled, “Bardock’s youngest- and why am I not surprised?!” he looked at his eldest and asked, “How is he fairing?”

“Quite well,” the Prince complimented, but his manners were tight.

King Vegeta nodded and turned to Goku and said, “And do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Goku’s heart skipped a beat at being asked such a broad question, and he said, sincerely, “If I am being of good service to Prince Vegeta, then I am doing well, indeed, Your Majesty,” and he took in a deep quizzical breath, wondering where _that_ response came from and if it was appropriate.

The King smirked and Tarble smiled, but Vegeta’s face remained unmoved, though his gaze pierced Goku’s eyes deeply and Goku fought a blush from coming to his cheeks as he was surveyed by him.

The King said, “Very well! If you see your father before I do, send him to me! Hopefully I won’t mistake you for him again!” he joked, “Go on, my men are keeping watch now, enjoy yourself!”

Goku bowed deeply and turned to step down from the platform, and he let out the breath he was holding in as he did so. King Vegeta was saying something to his eldest, but it couldn’t be heard over the rushing of his blood in his ears.

Goku tried to have some fun after that, despite his duties. He found Zuko quickly, and some of his other new friends came and talked to them in intervals as he drank something to take the edge off, but at first he couldn’t relax enough to really enjoy the night, and he kept an eye on Prince Vegeta whenever possible, though he kept his distance, and watched everyone Vegeta engaged with closely.

His present company was fun and carefree, but they weren’t enough of a distraction to dissuade his thoughts of the Prince entirely, and he noticed that Vegeta remained untactile, and only spoke to those who spoke to him, and even then, only briefly. The elder Prince lingered close to Tarble at all times, and barely sipped on his cocktail, and although he had several offers to dance, and even more at having another drink, he declined them all, only taking a drink when offered to him from one particular server. Tarble was having a wonderful time, though, and Vegeta seemed to be at least pleased with him.

Goku’s focus could only be split for so long, though. He found himself in the welcoming presence of his own brother, where he stayed for a little while as Raditz and Minala were both enjoying themselves, smiling and chatting with everyone who came by to say hello. They glowed together in everyone’s appraisal of their relationship and their unborn baby, Minala was starting to show now, but he felt like a third wheel standing with them after some time and so he decided to move on through the crowds at the first opening. They were too busy with their friends to mind.

His eyes kept going over to the Prince and he tried to remain nonchalant about it, but when someone asked him about how his job was going he replied, guiltily, “I’m just trying to do my best to serve my Prince,” but he left it at that. They laughed and told him to relax and remarked that the eldest Prince was more on guard for himself than he needed to be and that Goku shouldn’t take his job so seriously. Goku laughed at that and agreed with them, embarrassed all the same, but he changed the subject easily enough, and then moved away from the group altogether at a convenient time.

He noticed after a little while that Bardock had finally arrived, well-dressed but not so dressed up as many of the others, just as the King had predicted, and he was speaking to the King with the same ease he speaks to a baby with a broad smile on his face, while the King seemed eager to hear and share with him as well. They stood together by the throne as they talked, with some of the King’s guards surrounding them, and they looked as though they were in deep conversation, so Goku put off trying to get his father’s attention until later.

After some time of mingling Goku began to realize that in his eagerness to blend in and put himself at ease, he’s lost sight of the Prince and instead gained a little bit of a buzz. He found himself laughing at some of his fellow Saiyan’s antics and he noticed their increasing level of drunkenness, as well as his own. He finally set aside any inhibitions he’d placed for himself at the beginning of the night and was now engaging most of the people he came across in a genial and friendly manner, not so worried about messing up as he had been earlier on in the evening. It meant nothing to him that some of the men and women seemed to place themselves above the majority of the attendees, and he ignored anyone who ignored him, not letting himself be bothered by something as petty as maintaining their personal ideals of proper social status quo.

The music was still playing strong hours into the party and Goku ate some of everything offered to him and danced with anyone who asked. He didn’t dance very well, but he didn’t care, and neither did his temporary partners. He talked to anyone who would involve him, happy to meet so many people face to face that he’s only seen in passing up until this point. Eventually he excused himself from his current circle, like many of the last ones, looking for a drink and seeking out a familiar face in the crowd when he realized that he hasn’t really had this much fun in some time and he thought about his time at the barracks and his time with his friends back home.

 _‘This is… different,’_ he couldn’t help but think, _‘Definitely not the same boring routine, nor the same old faces…’_

He smiled to himself but shook off his thoughts of how much his life has changed. He thanked the bartender for his drink with a beaming smile before he decided to go and find his father. He spotted him a way off, and although he didn’t recognize who he was speaking with, he figured his father wouldn’t mind the interruption.

While making his way through the crowd he saw the Prince again, and realized that he’s now closer to Vegeta, accidentally, than he had been all night, and he remembered his duties, but honestly, he couldn’t help but slow down and listen to the conversation taking place in pure curiosity as he leisurely made his way past the pretentious looking group of people Vegeta was speaking with.

He could see Vegeta’s stoic face quite well from his angle in passing, and he noticed that the Prince was listening with well-practiced but, in his opinion, forced intrigue as someone in the group was saying, “Are you not concerned with those statistics? Or do you think there is no correlation?!”

Another Saiyan replied, “Now is not the time to get in to such a debate, and even if it was, I’m not going to be convinced of it over a few drinks!”

Some people in the group laughed, and the crowd was difficult to maneuver as Goku tried to linger a little longer to hear more.

“The Earthlings are probably talking about the same thing right now! And they aren’t so reserved about when and where they discuss such topics!”

“How do you know that? Besides, I’m sure they are talking about it, but perhaps they should be wiser about how they go about handling things! They’d get more done!” Laughter ensued again.

Goku took a sip of his drink as he moved his way around their little circle, wholly unknowing what exactly they were discussing so seriously, and his eyes flickered to Vegeta, whose eyes were on him and he glared at the young man in a peculiar sort of way. Goku smiled at being caught, and was drawn in by his eyes, but he only nodded at him in recognition and then looked away quickly as he continued to make his way past them all, walking steadfastly without looking back, and not hearing any more of their conversation.

It didn’t take him long to meet up with his father after that, and Bardock greeted him as kindly as ever and introduced him to the other Saiyans he was speaking with. The chatter that followed was polite but the other men he was speaking to excused themselves and offered for the father and son to have some time with one another while they went to get some refreshments and make their rounds.

“Dad!” Goku smiled heavily, “When did you get here and where have you been?!”

Bardock shook his head and laughed. He put his arm around his son’s shoulder and said, “I saw you out there dancing. You’re terrible! Now, how drunk are you on a scale of 1 to 10? Should I blame the alcohol?”

Goku chuckled, “Dad! I’m not that drunk! Besides,” he gestured to his clothing, “I’m on duty! And it’s Raditz who needs watching over! I’m fine!”

Bardock pulled away and laughed, pointing out into the crowd, Raditz’s head easily being spotted, and he said, “Raditz has someone to watch over him, now. And until that baby comes, you’re still my youngest!”

Goku grinned and playfully pushed his father’s shoulder, “Youngest, sure,” he said sarcastically, “I’m glad he’s having a baby, now you’ll have someone else to focus your affections on!”

“I can’t wait!” Bardock hummed and then returned his interest fully to Goku, “So! Tell me about how it’s been going? I feel like I haven’t seen you in a month! How’s the Prince treating you? How’s the guaaard?!” he dragged out last word, fancifying it as he mocked his son’s previously mentioned uniform.

Goku shook his head and sighed but smiled all the same, “It’s… He’s…” he looked off to the side as he tried to gather something coherent that was meaningful, “It’s not the same as the army, that’s for sure.”

“No, no,” Bardock replied, “They’re much less stuffy in the army, and the trinkets they carry with them mean more, although they may cost less.”

Goku laughed, and gave his father a proud smile, wondering, “How can you speak so freely with so many people about? Don’t you ever fear that someone might be listening to you making fun of them?”

Bardock took a drink before he replied, smartly, “I’ve said worse things about subjects more important to people I couldn’t win a fight with! If our people were as sensitive as the Earthlings, we would have blown ourselves up by now. I’m not worried about hurting someone’s feelings here!”

Goku took his own sip and nodded before asking, curiously, “Did you know that his Majesty was coming home tonight? I’ve never seen something so crazy-” he gestured to the crowd, “I guess you’re used to things like this in the castle, but if I told my squad about this they’d be begging for pictures and telling me to bring them back something to remember the night by!”

Bardock shrugged and replied, lifting his glass, “Things do happen quickly here, that much is for sure.”

The crowd went into an uproar of gleeful cries as the music shifted and many of them began to dance. Goku looked around to see if he could find Vegeta but he didn’t spot him and he heard his father saying, “Looks like this party isn’t winding down any time soon-” which brought his attention away from the task, and as he turned back to him, Bardock said, “Cheers!” offering him to clink their glasses.

“Cheers,” Goku replied, knocking their cups together, and they drank the rest of their cocktails. A server came by immediately and offered them another one, which they took, thanking her.

Bardock explained, “I know this is all very new to you, and honestly I don’t know why I didn’t try to get you to apply for a job here sooner, for selfish reasons of course. It’s nice to know that you’re so close.” Goku gave him a pleading look to stop talking like that to which Bardock remarked, “At least here you have more stability, and more opportunity to meet someone and maybe settle down yourself. Not that I’m rushing you! There’s so much going on here, but I can tell you right now it’s not always like this. You do remember we’re celebrating the ending of an awfully long war, right? It’s not like you were ever in the army or anything!”

Goku nodded, completely engaged with him as he replied, “Yeah, yeah, I didn’t forget. How could I? It changed my life…”

Bardock replied, “I know it did. It did mine, too.”

Goku didn’t immediately pursue asking his father any impertinent questions about his past, although he was unquenchably thirsty for more information. Instead, their conversation turned to lighter subjects for some time as they joked around with one another, but in his inebriated mind he was more and more interested in expressing his feelings than he has been in some time, and his father has opened the floodgates of personal inadequacies in mentioning his desires to see Goku forming some type of future for himself.

Still, Goku thought, _‘This must just be the alcohol talking. Yeah,”_ and he sighed to himself and knew that talking about that right now was not appropriate. He wasn’t even sure what he was contemplating exactly. He laughed suddenly, and said aloud, in a small way of confession, “Raditz is going to a father! I almost can’t believe it! It’s making me think about my own future a little bit.”

Bardock smiled but he didn’t say anything in reply, he only looked at his son, hoping he would open up to him a little bit more. Goku turned away, though, and looked out into the crowd, but he said nothing in response.

“Bardock, Goku!” a sweet voice called from their left and Goku’s head snapped in its direction before he could think about what he was going to say to the young man, and after he turned to him, he was left in more shock than he initially prepared for and he bowed low.

Luckily for him, though, Bardock wasn’t one to get tongue tied, and he bowed as well, but raised quickly, and intercepted the conversation easily as he said, “Prince Tarble! How are you enjoying the evening? Prince Vegeta, always a pleasure. You’re both looking very well.”

“And the same to the both of you!” Tarble remarked, and then turned to his brother and said, “It’s always a fun time when our father returns home, is it not, Vegeta?” Then he looked back over at Bardock and added, “Hopefully, though, we won’t have many more of these excursions to welcome him back from. What do _you_ think, Bardock? Any news on the war front?”

Bardock laughed and Goku tried his best not to stare at Vegeta, but to let his attention rest on Tarble as his father answered, “I see! You came over here to ask me about this declaration! You think I know something more than what they’ve announced?! From my understanding his Majesty will be staying here indefinitely, and I couldn’t agree with you more. It is nice to have him home. This is where he belongs, after all. All hail our great King.”

“Hail!” Tarble smirked, “But remember I am no fool, Bardock, and I know you military men and how you love your secrets! I’ll get it out of you, yet, if there is something more to know! Unless you have some other news that you’d like to share with us?”

Goku smiled at Tarble’s warm glow and charisma, and whether it was the alcohol making him so chipper, or simply his normal attitude which is much more amiable than that of his brother’s, Goku could tell that the younger Prince is very fond of his father, and that he is fond of Bardock, too.

Then he heard his father speaking again, and he said, “I didn’t know you had such an interest in those affairs, my Liege. If I find something out, you will be the first on my list of confidants. But, of course, in _other_ news, I understand that King Vegeta would like to **retire** sometime in the next ten years or so,” Bardock’s eyes lifted to Vegeta’s and he asked, unabashed, “Have you thought about settling down at all, Prince Vegeta?” Goku blushed for him as Bardock explained, smiling in a fatherly way, “I understand if it’s not on your agenda. In fact, Kakarot and I were just discussing his own future, you see, and he’s not yet ready to settle down himself,” he sighed, “I guess the promise of one grandchild is sparking my hopes for more, and your father made a comment about feeling much the same…”

Goku was practically blistering from the heat of his embarrassment, but Vegeta, however he was feeling about the comment, waved it off nonchalantly, and replied, “This is not news to me. I think the two of you are getting oddly sentimental in your old age. As for Kakarot and myself, we are young, and we have plenty of time to make those decisions of our own accord.”

Goku laughed nervously at the comment, but couldn’t be more pleased to hear it, although the conversation was unsettling to him.

Tarble interjected, “But, Goku! Surely you have a lover back home?”

Still blushing, Goku said, “No- Well, I- I rarely find the time for such a thing, although some say I _should_.”

Vegeta and Bardock both smirked at him, both thinking the comment was directed at themselves, and both men were correct, but Goku didn’t bother to explain himself further.

“That surprises me!” Tarble laughed, and he turned to his brother, but only conveyed a message through his eyes.

“It doesn’t surprise me,” Vegeta said, redirecting the conversation and ignoring his brother’s gaze, “Men of war are seldom the type of men who settle down quickly. And for good reason. Don’t you agree, Bardock?”

Bardock smiled at him and said, “Yes, I do. But since the war is over perhaps it is time for a new generation to come forth, and we need the strong men to sow their seeds, regardless of personal or proverbial inconveniences, so that by the time a new war erupts, which it surely will, those men of valor will have had the opportunity to pass down their knowledge and strength to their predecessors. After all, what is a man of great power without a successor to follow his will?”

Vegeta looked at him strangely at that comment but said no more.

Goku interrupted, then, saying, “In due time, Father, please! Save your wisdom for the birth of your first grandchild! Raditz will need all the help he can get!”

Bardock grinned at him, and Vegeta smirked and actually laughed a little at that remark, and Tarble giggled, as well. Then the younger Prince said, “And I’m sure he will get it! Prince Vegeta already has something spe-”

“Tarble!” Vegeta snipped.

“Oh!” Tarble stopped abruptly, “Ignore me!” and at another stare from his brother he said, “I think we’ll be going now! We have to be heading off soon, anyways! Celebration or not, our duties await us in the morning. We’ll be seeing you around! Enjoy the evening. Bardock, Goku.”

Vegeta nodded and let his gaze fall from the father to the son as he mimicked his younger brother in farewell, “Bardock. Kakarot…”

The father and son bowed at them as they turned to leave and Goku wondered at the look on Vegeta’s face as the Princes turned and walked away.

He struck up conversation with his father again quickly and changed the subject to something else entirely. A few minutes later some of Bardock’s friends came up to them and it was beginning to become clear to Goku by how casual everyone was behaving, that he ought to start making his way to his room sooner rather than later if he wanted to be able to show his face tomorrow for work without any humiliation attached to it.

He lingered with his current company for some time before heading off to find his friends again. They hollered at him and we eager to share in their news of the evening. Sometime later he noticed Prince Vegeta leaving, several men and women in tow with him, and he wondered about him, and them, but ignored his questions, and acknowledged his freedom, and went back to focus on those in front of him. Just as he suspected many of them were getting sloppily drunk. However, it was difficult to turn down shots when offered to him, and he took one or two, or three more, he couldn’t remember, and he danced quite a few more times, and ate everything he saw, before he saw someone throwing up in the corner. After that he declared himself unfit for company any longer, and then left thirty minutes later, stumbling his way through the halls back to his room at three forty-five in the morning.

The next day after the party was his day off and he spent the entire morning in bed, tired, but surprisingly _not_ hungover since he’d eaten so much food, and then the whole afternoon and night out of the castle, happy to be away and by himself for once. He enjoyed it immensely. The day after that came, and he knew he’d have to deal with all the leftovers from the party and possibly questions of his whereabouts from the day before and he dreaded it. His fear was all for nothing though, no one said anything about the party other than some individual’s embarrassing moments and trivial details, and Prince Vegeta, like most of the others, seemed less aware of anyone other than himself than usual. The few times he did see Vegeta that day while he was on duty, the Prince would glance at him for a moment, seeming to look right past him, before darting his eyes away quickly, never actually making direct eye contact.

The day after that, Goku was called to a private meeting early in the morning. He put on his armor over his cleanest uniform, and he wondered how clean it really was and tried to remind himself to do some laundry, which he wasn’t used to doing, before he left his room to head to the conference. His mind was full, and yet empty, and when he arrived, he somehow knew that they have something interesting to tell him.

The men who greeted him were not anyone that he was particularly familiar with, but some of them he remembered from his first day here, the doctor’s who’d forced the needle on him and he grew a little anxious at what they were about to discuss.

He was told to sit, so he did, and they went over his paperwork with him, explaining that, good news, he’s in a healthy condition, and he’s ready to go, and that he would be leaving to Earth tomorrow.

“Tomorrow?!” he balked. But- _but_ \- he didn’t understand.

They urged him that all of the arrangements have been made already and not to worry about his schedule, that Jero and Hanes would be notified of the change and that he has the rest of the day off to prepare. They gave him his space pod number, told him when and where to report, and explained that in a month’s time he would arrive on planet Earth, where he would be a personal guard and right hand man to the Prince, Vegeta, on whatever duties he had planned for his visit to the blue water planet. Of course, it would only seem like a good night’s sleep to him, and they mentioned that he should be grateful, it used to take a year to make that journey (as though he didn’t already know that.) They told him to pack plenty of clothes and said that if he didn’t have a capsule already, he might want to go and purchase one. Then they shooed him out the door without giving Goku the chance to even form a coherent thought, much less a full sentence.

He went straight to the training grounds to let off some steam, threw off his armor, picked a room that wasn’t occupied and let loose.

A few hours later, after exhausting himself, he concluded that he no longer has any say in his life, and he was unhappy with that revelation, but content to have been able to spend some more time to himself. He sighed as he left the training room, ignoring fellow Saiyans remarks about how his training had gone, and went immediately to get something to eat, and then headed back to his room to change and prepare as best as he could for tomorrow. He noticed a brand-new set of clothing for him with a note explaining that he is to wear the outfit tomorrow, for his arrival on Earth.

 _‘Prince Vegeta!’_ he thought to himself as he was finishing up his laundry and throwing everything in bags, _‘He couldn’t have said something beforehand?! Given a fair warning of the time? Something?! Is he that self-absorbed?’_

He knew, though, that complaining would do him no good and so he let it be for now and he determined that it was best to simply go to sleep and finish packing in the morning. He changed into some comfortable baggy pants and a tank top and was just about to brush his teeth and hit the lights when a knock came at his door.

He’s never had a visitor before, at least, not one that he didn’t know was coming, and he wondered who it could be, and when he answered, he was surprised to see his brother standing before him with a bottle of liquor in his hand and chaser in the other.

“Um, hi?” Goku said, bewildered as he let him inside.

“Yeah, yeah, hi to you, too,” Raditz laughed as he came inside the room and made his way over to the couch, setting the items on the coffee table. He went immediately into the kitchen to grab four glasses, two for the liquor and two for the counter drink, hollering from the other room, “I’m glad I caught you!” before coming back to the couch quickly and sitting down.

Goku shut the door, watched him, and then joined his brother without a word.

Raditz, understanding why Goku was confused, said as he poured their drinks, “I know about your trip to Earth tomorrow. That’s why I’m here.”

Goku heaved a sigh and said, “Why did he have to spring it on me so fast? I mean, I knew we were leaving, but I **know** he knew when we were leaving sooner than _today_ … He never even gave me a straight answer, in fact,” Goku rambled, “He told me we _would_ talk about it and then we never did! Well, he said ‘perhaps’…” he scratched the back of his head and let the thought trail off.

Raditz’s eyes were keen on him but he shrugged nonchalantly as he handed Goku the two glasses, and replied, “I’m sure he has his reasons. Here, drink.”

They took the shot and Goku shook his head to try and counteract the burn and then replied, “You’ve known him for a long time, right? I don’t know why I never bothered to ask you but, what is he like? I mean, what is he _really_ like?” he looked away as he added, “I know there’s more to him than… what he puts out there for everyone to see…”

Raditz gave Goku another quizzical glance before pouring them a second shot and remarking, “I don’t think _anyone_ knows what he’s really like. Or we could just go on assuming that what you see is what you get, which could very well be the case, and if it is, then it should be quite obvious what he’s ‘like’.”

At that Goku couldn’t help but smile and say, “Yeah, but he’s not _always_ so… he’s so…” but he couldn’t finish his thought because it was interrupted by another and he blushed, and wondered if he was giving himself away by spending too much time on the topic, but he still asked, looking down at his empty glass, “I’m not the only one going with him, am I?”

“I don’t think so,” Raditz answered, “But that’s not why I’m here. I wanted to come by and… talk for a few minutes.”

“Okay…?” Goku urged, glad to be able to spend some time with someone familiar.

Raditz smirked at him and handed him his glass. They both took their shot and after a moment he explained, “You might be gone for some time, you know, and I’m glad you brought up Prince Vegeta… He’s- well he’s…” Raditz tried to find the right words, and he looked at his brother hoping to see something in the eyes that would give away that he had some idea of what he meant to say, but there was nothing revealed in them. Raditz shook his head and said, “He’s Prince Vegeta.”

“O-Okay…” Goku nodded but he didn’t know what that meant.

Raditz sat back and thought for a moment, and it was his turn to become lost in thought as the effects of the alcohol began to take place and he reminisced on the past. He allowed his tail to uncoil from around his waist and the tip of it flicked against the floor as he mulled things over and tried to think of how he wanted to phrase this next part, before finally coming out with, “I never told you about what it was like back then, during Frieza’s reign. It was so long ago now. I was young, younger than you, when I became a part of the three-man crew, Myself, Nappa, and young Prince Vegeta…”

Goku listened acutely, interested to finally hear about this part of his brother’s life. He knew Raditz had been through some things, and most of the time he was very hesitant to bring it up, no matter who was around, Bardock included.

Raditz smirked to himself as he told him, “It was dark times, truly, and Frieza… he hardened the Prince- made him grow up far faster than he should ever have had to- I don’t think he’s ever gotten over it. All that happened… I doubt that he ever will…”

Goku frowned, he didn’t like to think about this, and it became more real to him by having met another direct victim of Frieza’s cruelty, but he didn’t want to interrupt his brother’s lament.

“We were so ruthless, we had to be, and, well, I’m not sure what would have happened… if the King hadn’t saved us all… The men on Frieza’s ship. They were awful. The worst Saiyan here,” he hummed, “His record would look squeaky clean compared to them… They were frightening. I know, I sound like a bitch saying something like that, but you just don’t understand- their power- their _hatred_ -” He sighed and then looked over at Goku and explained, “You were asking about our father’s crew the other day, and I think it’s time that you know the full story, at least, from what I know about it…”

He went on to say that Bardock and his crew were _very_ well known, third-class or not, for taking on impossible missions, and coming back, nearly dead, but victorious, every time. Their strength was rumored to equal some of King Vegeta’s Elites, and even Frieza’s, and their reputation spread to Frieza himself, as well as the King of planet Vegeta. He told him that Bardock wasn’t kidding when he said that he was wayward back then. He didn’t want Raditz to join the army, much less to be with Nappa and Prince Vegeta on Frieza’s ship, but once he did, he knew there was nothing he could do to change it.

Raditz told Goku that Bardock was distraught about many things, even Raditz knew it, and he was careless with his own life for many reasons. He’d given up one child already to the throes of a dangerous warlord, thrown himself into his work as a scientist and his duties as a member of the Saiyan Army, all for the likes of Frieza, and he knew that he would likely never get to even raise his second child had Frieza’s reign continued.

He told Goku what he knew about the ambush against Bardock’s men, why they were targeted, the fact that Bardock had gotten some sort of strange inexplicable brain injury and so he was unable to be there for them, and how much it broke Bardock’s heart. After all, not being able to have either Raditz’s or Kakarot’s mother in the picture, he was forlorn, and then, not being there for his men in the time of their end, when he knew it was his fault they were in that position to begin with.

But apparently Bardock felt life renew after he was able to help the King save their race, even though he never took the credit for it, at least not publicly. Raditz still didn’t quite understand how he was able to convince the King in such a short time that Frieza had turned against them, hell, men of his own city didn’t believe him, but no one knows the details of what happened after that except for Bardock and King Vegeta. It is clear, though, that the King knows that he could not have saved them all had it not been for Bardock, and that’s why they are so close.

Raditz clarified, “Our father stopped working after that, at least, not for the same people or in the same way. He said that if the King found him more useful amongst his advisors that it would be his honor to work directly for him, instead, but I think that he was… regretful of the way things went with his crew and was probably just ready for a change…

“I remained close to the young Prince for some time, but as he continued to grow up, after he came to be with us for good, and more and more pressure was put on him, I had to take a step back and let him be who he was meant to be: the future King. Ah, but,” he laughed a little, “He’s always been hell bent on gaining the power that his father has, and it’s all he really cares about. No one really understands, and unless you were there…” Raditz shook his head, “He’s obsessed. **Nothing** else matters to him. I think he doesn’t want to allow another Frieza-like figure to come in and try to take over under his reign. Hell, he was power hungry as an eight-year-old, and who can blame him?! Any day could have been our last. Imagine thirty years of harboring that same hatred and dreaming of that same goal. I guess old habits die hard, or not at all.”

Goku frowned, knowing that he didn’t understand, and Raditz gave him a sideways glance before adding, “He’s not interested in settling down, I know that much, and he has a lot on his plate, and a lot of expectations, seeing as how the whole planet is waiting for him to choose a lover and have children, regardless of whether or not he’s interested or ready,” He looked to see if Goku was understanding him but he doubted it and Goku’s eyes held his usual unreadable gaze.

Raditz sighed and added, trying to gauge his brother’s reactions, “I’m only mentioning this because you may find that some of the people in the castle are just not going to warm up to you, no matter what you do. For one thing, you’re Bardock’s son and my brother,” he chuckled, “And some people despise us for being close to the Royal House without the proper ‘credentials’, and for another, you just won a tournament that’s allowing you to travel exclusively with the most eligible bachelor on the planet and many of the people here hate you for it, whether they’ve admitted it or not. No one was supposed to find out about his trip to Earth, seeing as how he was waiting for the King to get back before he left and all, but, people talk, they can’t help it, I guess…”

Goku frowned and wondered at that information and said, “But- I didn’t know that the tournament-”

“Nah, I know, and I purposely didn’t tell you, but maybe I should have,” he shook his head, “But even if you had known, so what? Let them be jealous, it’s not like he picked you personally to go with him. And besides, Prince Vegeta is probably going to be so consumed with whatever the purpose of this trip is, you’re just going to be in the background as it is, and you’re better off for it. Anyone else would try to use this time to gain the Prince’s trust or something, and he doesn’t need someone trying to seduce him, in any case.”

Goku thought hard on everything that he just heard, and he was a tad bit overwhelmed by it all.

Raditz added, still watching his brother closely, “I just don’t want you to feel stranded and alone so far away from home, you know? So, I wanted to tell you that you can call me, if you need to. I’m not sure how long you are going to be gone.”

Goku laughed at that and replied, trying to ease his brother’s mind, and distract his own, “Geez, Rad, I’m not a kid! I can manage myself! I’m not gonna get homesick!”

Raditz raised a brow at him and remarked, with surprising calm, “Yeah, Goku, but did you forget that I’m about to be a father here in the next few months? And you might not be here when the baby is born…”

“Oh,” Goku pouted at the thought and told him, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think about that… I wish I could be, you know that, right?”

“Yes, I know, me too,” Raditz nodded, and then he added heatedly, “But I still don’t think you know what you’re getting into! You haven’t fully thought this whole thing through! I know you, Goku, you’re just walking into whatever’s coming head on without thinking twice about it and I told you before you even entered the tournament that things are different here. You can be mad at an army General and avoid him, but you can’t just do what you want while you’re on Earth with our Prince! You must respect him, even if you aren’t getting along with him.”

Goku suppressed a blush and refused to let Raditz get a rise out of him so he answered simply, “Not a problem.”

Raditz sat back, rolled his eyes, huffed, and said, tired of beating around the bush and surprised Goku hadn’t cracked yet, “Do you think I’m stupid?”

Goku grinned and teased, “Depends on what the topic is…”

Raditz flicked him hard in the arm and said, “The answer the is no! I’m not stupid, Goku!” he complained, “Do I really have to say it?! Come on! It’s obvious that you _like_ him- to me, anyways- You can’t stop staring at him every time he’s around and I know you well enough to know when you’re crushing on somebody and you’ve got it **bad**! Damn! I thought you would have at least admitted it by now! Are you in denial or something?”

“What?!” Goku’s blush could not be hidden and he squeaked, “I don’t- I mean- !- He’s the Prince!”

Raditz chuckled, knowing by the look on his face that he _is_ in denial, and said, “Prince or not you think you’re the only person in the castle who has the hots for him? Pay attention next time you see him in a meeting, or out with the castle members- They’re all trying to vie for his attention. He’s so used to it, he just chooses who he wants when he wants and afterwards, they mean nothing. I’m telling you, Goku, do yourself a favor and keep it to yourself!”

Goku frowned and his heart clenched but he wouldn’t admit anything. Instead he asked, in an afterthought and an attempt to steer the attention away from himself, “Why does he use people like that? Men like that are the worst.”

Raditz laughed and defended, “ _I_ was like that, you know. And I don’t think _I’m_ so terrible. It all depends on if the man in question is being up front about his intentions!” He explained, shaking his head, “They’re using him just as much as he’s using them. I’m not saying he’s a bad guy, and to be honest, I think he does it to keep everyone at bay, so that no one thinks they can claim him,” He smiled at Goku and added, “Besides! I don’t see you settled down, either, and don’t you dare try to tell me you didn’t fuck whoever back in the army- taken or not!” Goku’s blushed deepened and Raditz added, knowingly, “I can understand why returning to civilian life is difficult, but you refused to stay a commoner, didn’t you? And now you’re in a world completely different from out there! So, I’m warning you now, this trip is not going to be easy for you. Besides, I know how much you dislike the idea of spending time with Earthlings.”

Goku sighed, his tail tightening around his waist to keep from giving any anxiety away, and he poured them both another shot, needing something to take these feelings down a notch. After they took it, he said, trying to get the focus off of himself and refusing to own up to anything, “Well, thanks for the pep talk, I guess. There’s nothing to worry about. I’ll be fine. Just gotta make the best of it! I’m not the one who’ll have to deal with them, he is, and he can have that job.”

Raditz eyed him discreetly as they continued to talk more casually about other things, but he couldn’t stay too late, he has responsibilities in the morning and Goku was going to have to head out even earlier than he has to get up, so when it was time, Raditz got up, ruffled his little brother’s hair against his liking, and they both wished each other the best before he went away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter. Just. Yeah. I was gonna split it up but I just couldn't, and there was so much stuff I was debating about adding and removing, but idk sometimes you gotta walk away. Anyways, I hope you all are enjoying this! It's about to start getting interesting... Also, I've reread it like 40 times but I'm sure there's still some typos and so, yeah, sorry, hope it still flows well :)


	10. 10

Chapter 10

When Goku awoke, which was far earlier than necessary, he showered and then got dressed in the suit placed out for him from the night before. As he buttoned up his very “earthly” shirt, he couldn’t help but notice that the markings on his hand from the tournament were still there, though fading, and they stared at him. He ignored them, and the reminder of how truly, what’s the word- underqualified? unprepared? whatever the right word is- he’s just not sure if he should be the one to go with Vegeta after all, but he doesn’t have a choice.

Why did the Royal house have a _tournament_ to choose a winner from to go with their first-born Prince, anyways? What sense does _that_ make?

He started stowing all of the clothing he could into his bag, as well as all of his toiletries, his chargers, and any other important belongings that he could think of into another, and then he popped them all up into the capsule that his brother gave him. He took a picture of it and sent it to his brother, thanking him for the handy gift, as much as he hated to admit it, and headed out to get breakfast before he was expected to leave.

In the cafeteria, several of the guards who he’s gotten to know over the course of the last month nodded at him, but some of the others ignored him completely and Goku wondered about the truth in Raditz’s statement from last night. Do some of them not like him because of elements of his life that are beyond his control? He decided not to think too much into it, ate everything he could, and headed to the launching pads, which he had to ask around to find.

The morning air was sharp and much colder than he was expecting, 4:40 am or not, and he jogged up to the woman in charge, gave her his name and pod number and she gave him the go ahead to get settled in the pod, but told him it wouldn’t be launching for another fifteen minutes.

Goku decided that he was going to sneak off somewhere on the other side of the building and smoke while he killed some time. He needed a minute to himself before being constantly at the beck and call of the eldest Prince for an indefinite period of time. At least, he assumed that’s what’s going to happen. He’s never had to be someone’s lackey before. He lit the cigarette and thought to himself about what all this trip might entail, but he couldn’t be certain of any of his ideas, and he couldn’t afford to let himself get caught up in his own personal aspirations. Will Vegeta ignore him? Will he even _need_ him there? Or will he **torment** him? That seems far more likely. Or… will he indulge hi-

“It’s weird seeing you do that.”

“Father!” Goku laughed nervously and turned to see him as he came up from the side of the building, but he didn’t put the cigarette out, and he didn’t know what to say, “Yeah, I, uh…”

“Do you mind?” Bardock asked, smirking gently, and held out his hand to take it from him. Goku handed it over, and he took a puff of his own, blowing out the smoke as he asked him, “Are you nervous?”

Goku smiled and shrugged, trying not to shiver, as he wondered if his father had come to the same conclusion that his brother had and felt small under his gaze as he admitted, “No, I just don’t know what to expect.”

Bardock nodded and took another drag before handing it back over to his son, and Goku took a drag but didn’t expound any more. Bardock shuffled his boots in the ground as he said, “You’ll be fine- you have a good head on your shoulders, it’s a bit empty,” he joked, “But it’s well connected to your heart… I’m sure his Highness will treat you well, there.”

Goku took a long hit to delay his response, since he wasn’t sure what to say, and when he finally let it out and spoke, he got the feeling he wasn’t hiding his feelings very well, as he admitted, “He’s such an interesting man… and I don’t get to see him one on one very often but, yeah, I mean, I’m sure he’ll be very busy, anyways.”

Bardock’s small smile was all that he replied with. Goku offered the cigarette to him again, and he took it and pulled off of it, and Goku noticed the look in his eyes and considered it to be that of a forlorn father, wanting to say goodbye and wishing for more time with his child, but being unable to speak on either emotion. Goku thought about what Raditz told him last night, and wanted to say something, but didn’t know what words to use, either.

Bardock handed it back, just as an announcement was made over an intercom nearby that there are ten minutes left for those who are scheduled to travel to Earth and that they ought to start settling down into their pods now.

Goku smiled and told his father, “That’s my cue.”

Bardock wished him a good time before turning and leaving into the darkness from which he came. Goku took one last puff, put it down and out, and then headed to his pod.

He saw that there were only two other pods in the launching area, and that both of them were already occupied and closed so he found the one which matched the number given to him, got in, strapped up, closed it, and let the sleeping gas go to work as he mulled over his responsibility to the Prince of his home planet.

The two others that went with him to be of service to Prince Vegeta were a female servant by the name of Emeri, and a male personal advisor, whose name is Leno. They all arrived at the same time and were as prepared as they were going to be, having listened to their broadcast of instructions from their home planet just before the pods opened. They introduced themselves to each other, and Leno gave each of them a pill to take immediately, supposedly it will ward off the effects of any moon for up to three months. He told them, in their language, that they are to wait for the Prince to arrive and do their best to serve him however he sees fit, but Goku’s message from the pod entailed that he ought to be on the lookout for anything or anyone suspicious, and that he must accompany the Prince everywhere he goes, if possible. What the other two Saiyans personal instructions were, he didn’t know.

It was nearing nighttime on Earth, and the gravity was less on their bodies and made them feel lighter, and the weather was fair, especially for the time. The three of them looked around and were approached quickly and spoken to by the few Earthlings that were waiting for them, and only Leno said a few words in reply to their questions about when the Prince would arrive and if they needed anything in the meantime. All the humans were well dressed and patient, but it was clear they couldn’t care less about the present company, and they seemed more wary than anything.

The moment the Prince’s pod came down, Goku was very on guard and he listened to everything that was being said. As the Prince emerged, Leno gave him his pill, and Vegeta took it quickly, but ignored the others as he was greeted promptly and properly by the Earthlings and then the four of them were quickly led to some sort of flying craft similar to the one that Geredi had given Bardock.

All four Saiyans boarded the helicopter. Goku sat nearest to the Prince, out of duty, as they were escorted to where they would be staying for the duration of their trip. Their next location was apparently some nice hotel, and they were promised that the Prince, and his aides, would be treated ‘to the nines,’ whatever that meant. The humans on board explained that they would happily provide him with anything that he may need, and told him that his itinerary has already been set up for the next few days at least, in accordance to their previous plans, but that he would have the remainder of the evening to relax as he so chose. Apparently it was only 5 in the evening, and Goku thought about how similar the times are on both planets, only a 3 hour difference, with Planet Vegeta’s times lasting longer, and he was thankful that he wouldn’t get much jet-lag from their travel.

Goku watched the land go by them from below and listened closely as he heard the humans speaking to his Prince, asking him how his travel went, offering his any refreshments, and telling him about the carrier they were now in and how quickly they should arrive. Vegeta often replied with short remarks of “Very well” and “Understood”, but his body language was closed, as he sat with his legs and his arms crossed, and he looked out the window most of the time, refusing anything they offered to give him to eat or drink. Goku could tell that behind his eyes he was thinking the same thing all Saiyans think, _‘They look like us, but they are far from us.’_ Still, there were other thoughts that Vegeta was woefully involved in that could not be so obviously discerned and it gave him a subtle but untouchable aura.

Once the helicopter landed, they were rushed into a limousine, where the four of them finally had a moment to themselves and the driver was told to shut his window for their privacy. Leno began speaking to the Prince something about the plans for the next few days, and Emeri, although quiet spoken, offered to pour the Prince a drink and mentioned the idea of food and told him to simply let her know what he desires. Vegeta declined the drink for now and said very little in response to Leno’s monotonous cataloguing of future events.

Goku zoned out after a few minutes, looking out the window of the car, and he smirked a little to himself as he thought about the fact that the Earthlings couldn’t fly and how silly he felt riding in this thing and how much quicker they would be there if they could just travel themselves. He silently hoped he would get some time to himself to explore the Earth a little bit, but the smile fell from his face as he realized that he was very unlikely to get the chance. When his eyes returned to the other three, Prince Vegeta was staring at him blankly and Goku could only blink in response, but Vegeta looked away after a moment and at least pretended to pay attention to what Leno was saying.

They finally came to their hotel, where the door of the limo was opened for them, and humans with their cameras were everywhere yelling the Prince’s name and taking pictures before anyone even left the car. Goku exited first and sized up a hefty looking man who told them he would escort them inside, and then Vegeta climbed out gracefully, followed by the others. Goku scanned the area and walked nearly beside the Prince, in an attempt to keep anyone from getting too close, and in his mind he wondered where his natural protective inclinations were coming from, but he didn’t have much time to think on it. Thankfully, the humans had their own protection agency in line, and they were keeping the rich-obsessed others from getting any closer.

Once inside the hotel, which was lavish to say the least, Goku had to stop himself from gawking at the showiness of it all as they were quickly led to the elevator and then showed to their rooms.

They were given the entire top floor to themselves and were shown their respective rooms. During the tour the humans conveyed pride, but they were clearly nervous and they tried to play up the services and comfort of their hotel as they showed them Emeri’s room, which was on the far right, and it was quite a sight, then Leno’s on the far left, and it looked much the same, then Kakarot’s, which was next to Vegeta’s, and it was excellent, and it had a door for a connection to his and the Prince’s room. Then they showed them all the main apartment, which was meant for the Prince, and it was beautiful, indeed, although Vegeta showed no particular partiality to it. He was given his key, and they were given theirs, (and Goku was given an extra one to each of their rooms for security purposes) but all three Saiyans continued to follow as their Prince was shown about, before the concierge finally let them be for the evening.

By the middle of the exhausting night, Leno asked the Prince if there was anything more he would like to add or do for now, but Vegeta declined and dismissed him until the morning, telling him he would call on him when he was ready, but he kept Emeri and Goku nearby. He told Emeri that he would like something to eat and to order something for herself and Leno as well, and that he didn’t care what it was, but to make it quick. Emeri left to go make the order and when she returned, she asked him if there was anything else that she could do for him, but he told her no and dismissed her for the evening, as well.

At last, Goku stood in silence and waited as the Prince looked around, observing every detail of his apartment, and its contents, as he waited for his food.

“Your Highness…” Goku whispered after some time when he could no longer handle the doubt of what he was supposed to be doing any more.

Vegeta, whose attention was now turned to the balcony, didn’t bother turning to him as he said, “Come here, Kakarot.”

Goku did so quickly, and he came to stand beside him, and they stared out the glass at the night sky, but Vegeta hadn’t bothered to open the door to go outside. After a few moments Goku relaxed and smiled to himself, feeling more relaxed right now, even alone with him and without further instruction, than he has in a while.

Vegeta remarked, seeing his smile in the reflection of the glass, “What are you smiling about?”

“Nothing, Sire,” Goku replied, and he offered, “Would you like to see the view?”

“Hn,” he huffed, but that was all that he said.

Taking it as a yes, Goku stepped in front of the Prince, undid the latch, and slide the door open as he stepped aside to let Vegeta go through, which he did, and Goku followed him closely. When they got to the edge to look over at the city and all of its people down below, and all of the signs and lights, Goku said with a sigh, “‘So different, isn’t it?”

Vegeta didn’t say anything for a long time, but they remained in content silence, nonetheless. Then there came a knock at the door. It was a servant with several carts full of trays of food, which Goku quickly helped her wheel inside. She bowed and left as soon as the trays were uncovered and explained, and Goku looked at Vegeta, waiting for instruction but the Prince was still looking out at the skyline.

When Vegeta came back inside slowly, lingering in the doorway of the balcony, his eyes lifted to Goku’s for a moment as he said, “Eat. Try it all,” and then he closed the sliding glass door and the curtains and left the room, heading to his own bedroom, where he locked himself inside.

Goku’s surprise was evident, but he was too hungry to turn away the offer, and he did exactly as the Prince had commanded, and tried at least one of everything, taking a portion of each food and bringing it over to the large dining table to enjoy himself. He ate for some time, and his tail unwound from his waist and happily swayed behind him as he hummed in approval.

After a while, he hadn’t even noticed that the Prince had changed and returned, and was now sitting, relaxed into the couch, with one leg set up casually on the cushion and the other foot on the ground, while he rested his head on his fist, and he was watching him intently. The only thing that caught Goku’s attention was the soft _clink_ of a glass hitting a marble table as Vegeta set his glass of champagne down after taking a sip.

Startled, Goku turned and stood up and quickly offered, feeling exposed under his gaze, “Won’t you eat, too, your Highness?” and he couldn’t help but blush as he noticed the change in clothes, which were now much less restricting than his normal attire, and much more relaxed, and he read his open body language, which screamed not to be ignored. He wound his tail back around his waist quickly.

Vegeta smirked at him as he stood up and headed over to the trays. He remarked, with his back turned to Goku as he made his own plate with much more refinement than Goku had, “If this is half as good as you seemed to think I might enjoy myself here, yet.”

Goku’s blush deepened and he laughed a little, but he didn’t know what to say to that. He decided he was finished eating so he went to clean up his plates, and he took his time, carefully rinsing them before he set them in the kitchen sink, so as not to damage anything, while Vegeta sat down and ate with more control, but no less satisfaction or urgency.

After Goku was through tidying up his portion of the mess, he grew increasingly anxious and looked around for something to do with himself. He then went to work cleaning up the trays of what little food was left, covering everything up and pushing it all out of the way. Once he was finished with that, he noticed the bottle of champagne in a cold container filled with ice alongside Vegeta’s glass that he had left by the couch and he picked up both of those things and brought them to him. He bowed slightly, thanked him for the meal and then turned away to go find something else to do.

“Kakarot,” Vegeta started, and Goku turned back to him, unsure of himself, as the Prince said, “Where are you going?” He took another bite as he eyed the younger man and then stood up and walked over the balcony, opening the curtains again, and unlocking the door and opening it, as well. He came back to the table to grab his glass and said, motioning to the bottle of champagne, “Pour yourself some- I don’t like drinking alone-” and then he headed back towards the balcony as he called out, “And come out here with me. You’re supposed to be my bodyguard, what if something happened?” he laughed darkly.

Goku could tell he was toying with him, even though he didn’t understand why, but he sure wasn’t about to turn down this chance to spend such intimate time with him, not that he has a choice. He hesitated, but went to grab a glass and poured himself some of the champagne, his mind whirring incessantly. _‘What in the hell is going on? Is this him being nice?’_ Goku couldn’t tell and he wasn’t sure what to think.

By the time he turned around to follow him outside, he got the opportunity to really look at him, well, the back of him anyways, and the first thing that he noticed is that his tail was unwound from his hips and swaying behind him. That wasn’t supposed to be happening. No one unwound their tail from their waist unless they were comfortable around the other, i.e. family, or, unless they were interested in them. Goku’s heart pounded and he had to conclude that his nervousness was for no reason other than the fact that he wasn’t sure he would be able to control himself if the Prince kisses him again and he took in the vision of the other man with hungry eyes.

 _‘Fuck,’_ he thought as he bit his lips, continuing to appreciate the man’s body before him, which was pleasantly outlined in the loose, comfortable looking white pants and matching long sleeved shirt he adorned, and eventually his feet brought him to stand beside the Prince again and a gust of wind brought his scent to his nose and he breathed it in deeply, before taking a sip to calm his nerves.

They stood again in silence until at last Prince Vegeta remarked, “Tell me more about this planet.”

Goku hummed, and realized that Vegeta hasn’t been here before, and said, “There’s a lot to it,” and then in his honesty he opened up a little more, “The scenery is so unlike our planet, but there are some similarities. They have mountains here, which are very different from our own, and their deserts, they’re comparable, but there are valleys, too, with flowers of many colors, and trees that grow much taller and wider than ours,” Vegeta turned to him and watched him speak as he listened and he continued, unaware, “The water is so beautiful, and their jungles are filled with all sorts of interesting creatures,” he looked up and pointed at the sky, and said, “The night is night- space and stars and such- but sky in the daytime is blue, and the sunsets,” he smiled, “It’s almost like home… Last time I was here I went hunting. Their meat is good. They don’t know how to catch and kill like we do, but then again, they don’t eat like we do either.”

“What do you mean?!” Vegeta asked, with some slight alarm in his voice.

“Whoa!” Goku chuckled, and smiled down at him, noticing his sudden irritation at the comment, especially at having just eaten said foreign meal. He explained casually, “No, I mean, they don’t eat as _much_ as we do, and their food is less dense. I’m sure you noticed. You’ll be hungry again soon, much sooner here than on our planet. The food is great but making your own meal out of one of their animals is much more filling than a hundred dishes that they typically serve.”

“Hn,” Vegeta said, glaring at him thoughtfully. Goku continued to smile down at him and he couldn’t help but look from one eye to the other, before the Prince’s gaze went back to look at the sky.

Silence fell upon them again, before Vegeta said, after finishing off his glass, “The lights from the city are too bright.”

“There are places without any of those lights,” Goku agreed, nodding, but planting another seed of suggestion, he said as he took a sip, “I know you have a lot going on, but, you should let me take you to a spot that I found, I think you’ll like it. Actually, I was hoping to get a chance to go exploring…”

Vegeta didn’t respond and he didn’t seem as interested as Goku was hoping he would be.

After a little while longer, Goku finished his drink and the Prince turned away from the view and headed back inside. Goku followed, closing the door and then the curtains as Vegeta had done earlier. When he turned to see the Prince again Vegeta was taking off his shirt, revealing a hard and tanned upper body, muscular and toned, and littered with scars. Goku nearly yipped at the site but he held his composure, as his mouth hung open slightly.

“I’m going to bed,” the Prince said, his tail flicking behind him, “I suggest you do the same, but I’ll need you to be here first thing in the morning. By 5 at the latest,” and without ever turning around he headed off to his room and closed the door behind him.

Goku, after finding all his keys, left quietly after that. He couldn’t sleep and he wondered about many things.

When he awoke early the next morning, much earlier than necessary, he threw on a hoodie and some baggy pants and went out on a little trip of his own in cameo to get another pack of cigarettes in a city nearby. When he returned, he had a transmission on his scouter from Leno telling him that he would provide him with what to wear for the day and giving him a brief explanation of what to expect. He sighed to himself and showered and dressed quickly before heading over to the Prince’s room. He walked in as quietly as he could and shut the door with an inaudible click, but he was surprised to hear someone talking in the Prince’s room, and he wondered who it could be and he listened in as he came closer.

“…They aren’t going to try and kill you, Endulion, but I suppose you can’t be too careful,” the voice said.

 _‘Endulion?’_ Goku wondered, trying to place the slightly distorted voice, _‘That name again… it must be a way to differentiate him from his father…’_

“Well!” Vegeta grunted, “If they _are_ going to try, I’d like to disappoint them by surviving!”

The voice laughed, “And so you washed the glass you used, hm? And had your servant order the food for you, and even had your bodyguard try the food first?! How clever of you, son.”

 _‘King Vegeta?’_ Goku thought he recognized the voice, and his eyes widened as he considered those words, and then narrowed, and he didn’t know how to feel about that information.

“You can never be too cautious, Father.”

“Endulion, please! If I had to worry about _you_ **not** being too cautious, I might have a stroke in my shock!”

“Enough of this! I have a lot to do today!” Vegeta snapped and Goku could hear things being shuffled around.

“Fine. You do! And remember why you are there! I don’t want to hear that this whole thing was ruined because-”

“This was _your_ idea, not mine! Nothing is final!”

“A decision has to be made, soon!” the King’s voice suddenly grew loud and serious, then he said in a calmer tone, “Now, try and have a good time. I’m sure you’ll be seeing a lot more of Earth in the future!”

After that Goku heard the Prince growling and making even more noise than before, and so he jumped back to the front door and opened and closed it again, this time louder, to announce that he has arrived, so as to ward off the Prince thinking that he may have heard something he shouldn’t have.

Vegeta opened the door to his room in an instant and ignored Goku’s presence altogether. What they could have been talking about that would piss him off so much this early in the morning (aside from what Goku heard, which he didn’t understand completely) he didn’t know, and he didn’t want to add to his bad attitude in any way, so he stood beside the door and waited to be told what to do as he wondered to himself about what he _did_ learn.

Prince Vegeta made himself a glass of water as he typed something into his phone, still ignoring Goku, and he paced around the room for some time. A few minutes later Leno knocked on the door, and Goku checked the peep hole to see who it was before he allowed him to enter the room. He was followed by Emeri, and they both went up to the Prince straight away, told him good morning and that he looked well, and then Emeri asked him what he would like for breakfast while Leno placed some paper work on the table and then turned and handed Goku his new attire, which Goku ignored for now and listened as Leno went straight into discussing their plans for the day.

The next two hours were filled with nothing but nonsense, at least in Goku’s opinion. He didn’t even bother to pay attention after a while. He was grateful for the food, though, which came quickly after Emeri ordered it. All four of them ate their breakfast together, although the Prince was still listening to Leno’s instruction, and seemed a little too agitated to enjoy his food or eat very much, and Goku couldn’t help but think about the fact that Vegeta used him as an experiment to make sure he wasn’t going to be poisoned the night before.

It quickly became time to move on for the day and the four of them dressed in Earthly clothing, nice suits for the men, ties and all, and a classy looking dress for the woman, before they left the room and the hotel, and into their limo, followed by paparazzi and hotel workers, as they were taken to their next location.

The whole day sucked. It was nothing but a meeting here, which lasted forever, a luncheon there, which was nice but too long, and then a conference somewhere else, and by that time Goku was dying of boredom, followed by a dinner with some other apparently very important Earthlings. He was suspicious of everyone, but genial to all of them, but he had much too much time on his hands and in his head in general. The only thing that Goku noticed _today_ is that the Prince somehow learned how to smile flawlessly at all of these acquaintances and he even laughed at their jokes and shared in conversation as though he cared.

He didn’t care though. Goku could tell he was just turning on the charm and he wondered about how _well_ he was able to pull it off and considered that perhaps every facet that he’s seen of the Prince thus far is a complete farce. He wondered at who he _really_ is, and he gave more thought to his brother’s words again today, and he wondered how his family is doing more than once.

When the day was finally over and the four of them were sent off in yet another limo, Vegeta told Emeri to open a bottle of liquor on the way to their hotel and they all had drinks together as Leno went over tomorrow’s itinerary. With one drink down for all of them, Vegeta told Emeri immediately to pour another and offered for everyone else to have the same. They obliged.

Vegeta practically shot down all the liquor at once, and about five minutes later, after having heard enough, with the raising of a brow and a quippy tone, he asked Leno to relax, be silent, and enjoy himself for a moment, which was his nice way of saying “shut the fuck up”. Goku smiled to himself, having suspected that Vegeta was going to crack, but he didn’t expect it to be so soon. The ride was silent all the way back to the hotel after that.

By the time they arrived back at their rooms, Emeri and Leno asked if the Prince needed anything, which he declined, and so they went to their rooms, but when Goku asked, as he followed the Prince to his door, the Prince turned, looked him up and down arrogantly, and said, “Yes, but again, I’m not sure explaining it to you would help,” and then he went inside, leaving the door open behind him.

Goku, irritated and a little buzzed, replied, following him inside and shutting the door behind them, “What does that mean, your Highness? I wasn’t aware I did anything wrong?”

The Prince scoffed as he removed his tie and threw it on the floor, continuing to walk through the room. He headed towards the bar and began to pour himself a drink as he explained, “You spaced out half the day! You are supposed to be my guard!”

“I was paying attention! No one was trying to attack you,” Goku huffed, thoroughly upset at being berated for not doing something he didn’t need to do.

Vegeta turned to him and glared, taking a huge drink of something straight up, and then remarking smartly, “You let every single person who wished to speak with me come up and have their way with the conversation!”

Goku balked, “Aren’t you **supposed** to talk to them?!”

“Not **all** of them!” Vegeta yelled.

“How am I supposed to know who you want to talk to and who you don’t?!” Goku exclaimed.

Vegeta growled heatedly just as Goku realized he has been drinking straight liquor and he is in the wrong for arguing with him. “I’m sorry, your Highness,” he murmured.

Vegeta finished off his drink and slammed the glass down, breaking it and he looked at it with a queer expression (most of the Earthling’s everyday items are much more fragile than those used on Planet Vegeta, and the Prince wasn’t expecting that) but then he turned around, grabbed another one, and began to pour himself another drink, tense and exasperated.

Goku couldn’t help but feel for him a little bit, though he hid his small smile at how wound up the Prince was, and how silly he thought it was for him to be so annoyed, and he drew closer to him, having lost the little self-restraint that he had, and made up his mind about what he was going to do next. He reached out and firmly grasped the Prince’s shoulders in both of his hands, and before Vegeta could argue or pull away, he began to massage gently, rolling his thumb in small circles, and squeezing with the rest of his fingers, kneading the locked up, steel muscles beneath his skin.

Vegeta’s body locked up, but leaned into his touch after a moment, and he allowed the contact for a few more seconds before he turned his head to the side and asked quietly, “What are you doing?”

Goku pulled his hands away slowly, letting his touch linger for just a moment as he replied, “I’m just trying to help,” and with that he sighed and began to walk away as he added, “Next time tell me what you need. Give me a signal or something. I’ll try my best to serve you better, but I can’t read your mind.”

At that the Prince turned to him with widened eyes and he stared at him, watching as he began to loosen up his own tight clothing, starting with the tie, which he removed completely, tossing it to the floor as the Prince had done and then going for the buttons on his shirt. He hesitated to leave, and he cast a glance in Vegeta’s direction as he thought about if he should.

Vegeta turned back to the bar and poured another drink. Goku watched out of the corner of his eye, unsure of what to do, or why he was doing that since he has one already, but when the Prince came toward him, holding out the glass, he took it and they shared a long gulp together, included with an equally matched gaze combined with private thoughts.

Then Vegeta threw down his glass onto the expensive carpet and pulled Goku in for another kiss, this time more passionate and more desperate than the last. The drink fell from Goku’s grasp as he was engaged in what he knew was nothing more than an attempt on the Prince’s behalf at forgetting some of the stress that he’s clearly feeling, but Goku didn’t care. He didn’t care that he was being used. Not like this. Not right now.

He could feel the looseness of the liquor causing him to touch Vegeta in ways he knew he wasn’t supposed to but the urge was too great, and the desire too deep, and one of his hands graced the Prince’s cheek before running down to his neck and then behind his head and into his hair, and his other hand felt down his shoulder and then dipped in between his arm and his side, and he pulled the Prince’s body closer by his waist.

Their kiss deepened, and Vegeta’s hands went from squeezing his biceps to gripping his clothes, and he ripped his undershirt open, popping off the remaining buttons, and then he untucked it from his pants so fast Goku suddenly felt cold from the exposure, but hot from the following touch. Vegeta’s tail wound securely around Goku’s thigh, and his fingers of one hand were gripping him roughly on his upper back while the other cupped and squeezed his ass.

Goku gasped, taking in a much-needed breath as he clutched him tight, “You’re teasing me, your Highness…”

Vegeta continued to kiss him gingerly, and torturously, replying, “Am I?”

Goku kissed him back, wondering aloud, “Are you?”

Vegeta kissed him a little bit more after that but eventually pulled his sensual lips away, although he kept his grasp on Goku’s hard body, one hand now on his chest and the other on his waist under his jacket, where he remained for a few more moments, still pressing their hips together and Goku felt his hardening cock pressing against his thigh, but he unwound his tail from his thigh, and he could see it now swinging low behind him.

Vegeta hummed before he said, looking at Goku’s lips, “Yes. Yes, I think I am,” and then he stepped backwards, still facing him, and continuing to stare at Goku’s handsome face, his sensual neck, his strong chest, his taut stomach, and even his hard outline beneath his pants, and his long legs, before his eyes came back to his face and he smirked softly for once, with lust and thoughtfulness in his eyes, before turning and walking away. “Go,” he said, “Be here by 7 tomorrow morning.”

Goku’s heart clenched and pounded as he watched him walk away. He didn’t know what came over him. He didn’t know what came over Vegeta! But before he could just let him enter his bedroom alone and before he could just leave, he called out to him, saying, “I thought you said you wouldn’t act so favorably the next time I spoke freely around you?”

Vegeta hesitated to enter his room for a second, but he didn’t turn back as he remarked, opening the door, “I thought you said you like a good challenge?” and with that he went inside and closed the door swiftly.

Goku groaned all the way to his room, confused, confused, and more confused. Raditz was right; he really didn’t know what he’s gotten himself into. He did know one thing though, the next time Vegeta kisses him, he isn’t going to let it stop there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh ho ho ho ho ho heheheheheheh


	11. 11

Chapter 11

The next day Goku entered the Prince’s room before anyone else, a little before seven am, but Vegeta was still locked away in his room. Goku noticed, and was grateful, that the Prince had the foresight to pick his glass and their ties up off the floor from the night before so the other two wouldn’t suspect anything had gone on, because that’s the _last_ thing he needs right now (or perhaps it’s the last thing Vegeta needs), but he didn’t dare dwell on it, and figured he’d never see that tie again, which was fine with him. He did notice, though, that the cup Vegeta broke was still sitting on the counter, and he sighed as he went to clean it up, and thought about their kiss, and not for the first time that morning.

When Leno and Emeri arrived shortly after, and Vegeta finally came out of his room he wore the same scowl on his face as always and he didn’t hide his annoyance each time Leno opened his mouth. Leno, however, ignored his Highness’ looks of irritation and insisted upon going over their itinerary. Again.

Goku was very unimpressed with their daily routine here thus far, and he couldn’t believe that any of them were happy with it, either. Emeri was still and quiet most of the time, only fussing with Vegeta’s needs, and Leno was serious and direct, only focused on the Prince’s meetings.

The whole day went by pretty much the same as yesterday, except they travelled farther out, in another private jet, to go meet some of Earth’s Royalty in one place, and then off they went to meet some more high class people in another area entirely.

Leno urged the Prince quite a bit when it came to him befriending these new acquaintances, and Emeri found what use for herself she could, but more than anything she sat quietly, smiled along, and looked pretty. Goku, according to his instructions, watched everyone closely, and stepped in a few times whenever he saw that the Prince looked a little _less_ pleased with whoever was trying to take up his time, but it seemed, as the day and night wore on, that Vegeta was growing more than a little irritated.

Earth customs were strange to them, everyone wanted to shake hands, and some of the men would kiss the women on the cheek, and it was clear Vegeta wasn’t used to such formalities and refused to participate in them more than once, regardless of how the men complimented the women, even to the point of disrespect, and how the women flung themselves at the Prince.

The Earthlings offered them tea and cakes and rolls with bread and butter, and coffee with cream and sugar, and fruits and other delicacies, which was all very good, but not custom to the Prince’s likes and he grew tired of constantly being offered something to eat or drink.

When it came time for dinner, the humans drank quite a bit more than they should and went on and on about how expensive and well-aged their wine was, growing louder in their chatter, and more easily amused by the hour, and they laughed at things Vegeta didn’t know he should be finding amusing. He held conversation just fine, but his brow showed, to Goku and the other’s at least, a quiet belief of ineptitude in these new friendships and a disdain at forming such relationships.

The Humans made a great fuss about their wardrobes and their jewelry, and their possessions of art and the history behind their homes and their lineage. None of that impressed Vegeta, for he had all of the above, but he didn’t believe in flaunting it, and he knew they were powerless without their money. Behind their façade of geniality and proper manners, Goku despised their pompous attitudes towards himself, Leno, and Emeri, and felt less at home in their castles and mansions than he did in Vegeta’s home.

Still, Vegeta smirked at them and was as engaging as he would allow himself to become, and although to them it may seem he was receiving them well, to Leno, Emeri, and Goku, they could see that he wasn’t finding them nearly as extraordinary or interesting as they found _him_.

Life on Earth did not seem to be much of a life for the Prince of Saiyans. It was filled with more structured dances than on Planet Vegeta, which the Prince declined joining, and more etiquette when it came to eating and casual conversation than was necessary. Not to mention their jobs allowed them less time for individual growth and practices, at least, so it seemed on the surface, and everyone was enraptured by their own study of interest, and solely focused on personal expertise in one area or another. To them, if you didn’t have an impressive education which secured you with a good job and a well-padded bank account, you’re wasting your life. And most of them, “old money” they called themselves, were proud of how little they did for such a great return. Their women didn’t have to work and the men were in love with their own conniving ways.

Vegeta looked well, of course, healthy and strong, and he looked every bit as rich as them, but the light in his eyes that attracted Goku to him was being stomped out the longer he was forced to mingle and correspond on uninteresting topics with tiresome people, not that Vegeta wasn’t interested in any of the subjects, just that he wasn’t interested in the men and women discussing them, or the way in which the topics were being discussed.

At the first lull in the evening, as they pulled up to another new location, Goku insisted to Leno that the Prince get some time to himself and told him and Emeri to hold off their next appointment. Vegeta’s eyes flickered to Goku’s in surprise, but Leno laughed and argued with him that they couldn’t afford the time to be spared. Goku was firm with him and told him that it would be best for everyone involved that Prince Vegeta gets a break. Vegeta simply sat by and allowed their conversation to ensue, and although Leno was looking to the Prince to confirm that he wanted no delay, he never did, and so eventually Goku got his way, practically forcing Emeri and Leno out of the vehicle upon arrival to go and make casual conversation with the new group of people in the meantime. Goku closed the door back again, locking himself and the Prince inside.

Vegeta smirked at Goku, and he said, “Why did you do that?”

Goku’s eyes widened a little and he said, simply, “I thought you might want a break. You… looked… unhappy back there.”

“Hn,” Vegeta said, closing his eyes, and he answered, looking away, “I can’t afford a delay, you know. Leno was rather clear on the matter. And I am always unhappy, Kakarot.”

The bodyguard frowned and stared at his Prince for long moments before he finally said, “Why…?”

Vegeta gave him a sidelong glance and seemed to be giving some thought to his answer, and after given ample amount of time in earnest silence, he merely said, "I have responsibilities."

Shaking his head, Goku whispered, determined, but quiet and gentle, "No, I meant... why are you unhappy?”

Vegeta smirked and looked away again, and then he took in a long, deep breath, and said, “I’m ready to proceed. Let’s go,” and he wouldn’t meet Goku’s eyes.

Goku couldn’t help the small pout of his lips, or the innocent concern in his eyes, but he was ready to get out of the damn, stuffy limo already, anyways and he led the way, opening the door for the Prince, and closing it behind him, and then following him inside to find the others.

After the day and night was done, the Prince didn’t drink himself horny on the way back to the hotel and Goku was glad that he was a little more peaceful, but a little disappointed when he told him he didn’t need anything from him for the evening. He practically all but shut Goku out of his room, and he had to ignore the mysterious look in his eyes.

Goku couldn’t sleep again. Even after jerking off to the Prince that night, in his own unbridled tension, followed with a tinge of humiliation, he still had a hard time resting. He blamed it on the jetlag, but his thoughts were being plagued with more than just a little lustfulness and he didn’t understand why he’s obviously starting to developing feelings for his Prince and he tried to tell himself he isn't really true.

The day after was more eventful and yet less so, at least in the morning time, because they didn’t have so much planned for this day, but Vegeta was practically pacing a hole in the floor. What was bothering him so much Goku didn’t know, but Leno and Emeri appeared used to his antics, or privier than Goku as to why he was acting so out of character, and they tried to be as helpful as they could be to the Prince. Goku simply kept to himself as much as possible.

According to Leno, they had an early dinner planned at a nice restaurant in another city that was somewhat nearby, and then afterwards they were to go have cocktails with their dinner guests somewhere else. He mentioned the importance of this meeting, according to the King, several times, and Vegeta glared at him more than once upon the mention of it.

So far as Goku could tell, it would be the first time that Vegeta would be spending the entire evening with only one group of people, instead of meeting several throughout the day and putting on a show for all of them. He would have to keep up the front for longer this time and try to be as genuine as he can. Still, Goku couldn’t tell why this meeting would have such an effect on the Prince.

Leno suggested that they eat as much as they can before they go, so that they can remain focused on their business with them and not overwhelm the Earthlings, and offered for the Prince to have a drink on the way there to calm his nerves. Vegeta said nothing in reply, he was fidgeting with his phone and constantly going in and out of his room for something.

Emeri had already ordered some food and was helping Vegeta pick something to wear that wasn’t too much or too little, but Vegeta seemed very uninterested in getting dressed in the attire either way. He was wearing something nice as it is, but his manner of pacing told Goku that he was going to take whatever advice Emeri gave him and go with it and he noticed him run a hand through his hair more than once and it was barely noon.

The food arrived and the four of them ate for the second time that day. Finally, Vegeta seemed to calm down a little and Goku was grateful because his tension alone was filling up the whole top floor of the hotel.

Emeri cleaned up the mess of food and plates that they had made and spoke a little bit to Leno as the Prince went to go take a shower.

“He’s freaking out,” she whispered.

“I would be, too, if I were him. I think it’s finally starting to sink in,” Leno replied quietly, still going through some paperwork.

“Yes, and to think, he still has another day of this _tomorrow_ …” she sighed, but they let the conversation drop.

Goku didn’t understand, but he didn’t feel comfortable asking them what they meant, so he ignored the information for now. Deep down he hoped, though, that they would be leaving the planet soon.

A little while later, when Vegeta finally emerged from his bedroom, Emeri told him that they ought to go with the “too much” idea, and explained that there’s an Earth saying that goes “It’s better to be over dressed than under dressed,” but Goku couldn’t disagree more as he watched Vegeta walk around to pick up some of the items they’d flung about out of the corner of his eyes. He looks incredible as he is, wet hair and casual clothes and all, and he’d rather have him take all his clothes off, or leave little to the imagination, but that’s just his personal preference.

Goku had to leave the room for a few minutes and splash water on his face to get those thoughts out of his head.

When he returned Leno was going over the names of the people whom he was about to meet so that he could try and be better acquainted with them. Only then did Goku realize why the Prince was so uptight. They’re going to meet the Briefs! The owners and creators of Capsule Corporation- the richest family on Earth and the biggest traders with Planet Vegeta, and single-handedly the most popular household name in their bi-planetary worlds.

Goku couldn’t help but step out onto the balcony at that information, and he closed the door after himself, and walked over to the ledge to just breath. He then, checking back inside, told them that he was going to shower and get dressed himself and asked the Prince if he needed anything, but Vegeta waved him off, and so he went back out to the balcony, looked around to see if anyone was paying attention, and then jumped from Vegeta’s balcony to his own, and went inside to grab a cigarette, which he came back outside and smoked rather enjoyably, before going back inside to get showered and dressed himself.

When he got out of the shower Leno was in the room, he must have come through the joint door, laying out his clothing for the evening, and he told him that they would be leaving at three to head into the city, which gave him plenty of time to get dressed and head back to the Prince’s room. He did so quickly, though, and waited on the couch by himself, as Vegeta had locked himself off from the rest of them, and the other two were getting ready themselves in their own rooms.

When the others came back, looking much better than Goku had imagined, they complimented each other on how well they all clean up, and waited for the Prince to emerge.

Finally, he did, and Goku’s mouth hung open in his own surprise at how lovely he really looked, after all. He wore a suit, but unlike yesterday’s more business design, this one had a much more debonair touch to it. The other two fawned over him, showering him with compliments, but Goku remained silent, afraid that anything he said might reveal more of his feelings for him, or desire, anyway, rather than just an appreciation of how fantastic he looks.

Vegeta declared that he was ready to go, and they were a little early as they made their way through the hotel and outside, but the limo was there waiting for them nonetheless and they hurried inside and were on their way. Leno offered his Highness a drink, but Vegeta declined and his demeanor had changed greatly. It was the calmest they had seen him all day, regardless of the longevity of the drive. The driver told them it will take two hours to arrive in West City.

When they pulled up to the restaurant, which looked overly grandeur and way out of Goku’s pay rate, like most of the places they’ve been to so far, Prince Vegeta and his fellow party members were immediately recognized and brought to their table and told that the Briefs were on their way.

The waiters came by and told them that several bottles of champagne have already been ordered, and they filled up their waters, mentioned that they were only going to receive the best the restaurant had to offer, that the Briefs would be taking care of the meal, and that they have something special planned for their supper this evening.

Goku was beside himself, and he tried to remain on task and glance around for any danger, but it was hard to stay focused in so lavish a place and he couldn’t help but notice that the Prince was acting somewhat _odd_ this evening- trying his best to look pleased rather than irritated and unimpressed, and engaged rather than distant and uncomfortable. Vegeta told his guests not to touch anything yet, as he wasn’t sure how they would be sitting during dinner this evening and he checked his phone more than once.

Then, after longer than Vegeta would have liked, but not enough time for it to be an annoyance, there came a great fuss as some important people entered the lobby of the restaurant and the names “Dr. Briefs! Mrs. Briefs! Ms. Briefs!” could be heard, followed by a “Welcome! This way!”

Vegeta stood at once, eager, and nervous as he pulled down at his suit, and uncontrollably curious as he tried to see them over the people standing in the way, though he stood almost perfectly still, and the rest of his party stood up as well and turned their eyes to where the commotion was coming from. Finally, once the crowds of servers and patrons got out of the way, the Saiyans were able to gaze upon the Briefs family for themselves.

The three of them came to stand before the Prince and his party and Goku eyed them all closely, surprised by their appearance but pleased with their demeanor. They looked rich, as they are, but they did not look posh or unfriendly. The elder gentlemen stood a little hunched over and he was a small man, indeed, and he wore a nice white suit, but the wife and daughter stood tall and proud, with elegant dresses on, the mother’s less revealing than the daughters, but neither were over the top, and they were adorned fashionably, at least, to an Earthling’s standards, with some jewelry and other accessories.

Leno was the first to speak and he said, “Allow me the pleasure to introduce his Highness, Prince Vegeta of Planet Vegeta. I am Leno his advisor, this is Emeri, his assistant, and Goku, his personal bodyguard.”

Dr. Briefs, with a knowing smile and a kind voice, replied, “The pleasure is all ours!” and the three of them bowed before standing back up and he introduced themselves, “I am Doctor Briefs. This is my wife, Bunny, and my daughter, Bulma,” He paused for a moment as the crew acknowledged them. “We’re so glad you could take the time to come visit us! And I hope you don’t return to your planet disappointed in doing so! Please, let’s sit.”

Goku couldn’t help but notice how beautiful Bunny and Bulma were, despite Dr. Briefs not being much of a handsome man himself, not that he wasn’t good looking, just that he seemed older, and the women were far more fair than any Goku had seen thus far. He glanced in Vegeta’s direction and noticed that Vegeta’s eyes were focused on the table in front of him as he took his seat, and that he was doing so slowly, waiting for the others to find their place. Goku sat to his left, and Bulma, to his right, urged so by her mother. Dr. Briefs sat beside Bulma, then Bunny, then Leno, then Emeri, and then back to Goku.

When Vegeta’s eyes came back up they immediately locked in on Dr. Briefs glasses-covered ones and he began with, “I would like to thank you for taking care of our meal, Dr. Briefs, I insist that I get the satisfaction of returning the favor next time.”

The Doctor replied, “If you insist, but it’s no trouble at all! And we are well aware of how much you Saiyans can eat, so by all means, don’t hold back! I find the difference in our people fascinating, especially when considering the vast similarities.”

Vegeta nodded and replied, with tight manners and a practiced charm, “Indeed we are quite different, but we have more in common than many of the other various planetary civilizations. Perhaps you’d like to travel sometime, and take a look at what’s really out there, on a biomolecular level, of course.”

“Oh, you men and your studies!” Bunny cried with a smile and closed eyes that never seemed to open in her joyous state, she turned to her husband and offered, “We can talk about work later on, don’t you think, hunny?!”

Dr. Briefs smiled and said, “I suppose it can wait, but then again I don’t suppose ignoring the purposes of this meeting would be helpful.” He turned to Bulma and said, “I must admit, our daughter here is every bit the genius I am! I was going to wait to tell you, but I suppose you should know that she will be taking over the company when I am gone, and so if you have any questions, she’s the one you really should be asking! I am getting old, now, and so most of what I do is fun little side projects, but she’s the one with the brains and the vision for the future of Capsule Corp. As much fun as the idea of an adventure is to me, I simply can’t risk my health. Bulma, on the other hand, would love to get her hands dirty, and is more than capable. And with that being said, we’ve got a surprise for you! But that much will have to wait until later. We couldn’t bring it with us, you see, even if it can become so compact,” he joked as Bunny smiled.

But Bulma, Bulma sat with her chin in the air and he shoulders squared off, and she seemed proud and wise, but she couldn’t help it when her eyes flickered to Vegeta’s just as his went to hers and the look they shared lingered.

Vegeta said to her, and her alone, “I am looking forward to this surprise…”

Bulma smiled, Goku could tell she couldn’t help it, and she replied, “I’m looking forward to showing it to you,” but her voice came out much meeker than Goku thought it would and had he bothered to look around the table he would have noticed everyone else was smiling in the Prince’s direction and watching the encounter closely.

The waiters came by and opened two bottles of champagne, poured everyone a glass, and then set down several first course food items in front of the guests, explaining that they were made by the chef personally for the party only, and that they were an Earthlings way of making several classic Saiyan dishes. Goku noticed that Vegeta looked as though he wanted to scream, but everyone else seemed pleased. The servers told them what everything is and then asked if they had any questions.

After their questions were answered, Dr. Briefs spoke again once they left, lifting his glass to the Prince and his company, and he said, “A toast to your long and prosperous reign, Prince Vegeta, and may our families always remain close.”

The dinner went by well, with Dr. Briefs and Prince Vegeta controlling the majority of the conversation, but as they all drank more, The Briefs opened up a bit and Leno and Emeri seemed to encourage the conversation to stay between the Briefs’ family and Prince Vegeta as much as possible, especially when it came to their daughter Bulma, which Goku had noticed them doing the days before, with Vegeta and all the women he’s met.

Although, neither Bulma nor the Prince seemed so keen on the idea of sharing anything more intimate than a broad opinion on this circumstance or that invention at first, but after a while, Bulma became rather more assertive and at her quick wit the Prince grew a little less reserved and quipped out a sarcastic remark more than once, to which the heiress of Capsule Corp. gave an unexpected scoff followed by a deviant smile of pride and knowledge and Vegeta eyed her keenly. It was the least reserved Goku had seen him with any of the human’s so far.

After dinner and desert was eaten and drinks were finished, Dr. Briefs insisted that they all fly in his craft back to their home, where they could continue to have a few drinks and enjoy each other’s company. He planned on showing Prince Vegeta where all the magic of Caps. Corp. takes place.

Bulma declared that she would be the one to operate the flying machine, much to Vegeta’s dismay, which he didn’t bother to hide completely seeing as how he watched her drink several glasses of champagne, but she avowed that she was perfectly fine, and he noticed rather stubborn, too, and so he sat up front with her to keep watch. Goku sat behind and in between them, ready to save the vehicle if anything happened.

They arrived without delay and left the machine hurriedly, as Dr. Briefs now seemed more eager than ever to show the Prince around, but the Saiyans couldn’t help but stop for a moment to stare at the large, dome shaped mansion they called a house, and Goku was reminded of Dr. Geredi’s labs, but Caps. Corp. is even bigger- if that’s possible.

They walked right in, greeted by workers and servers a like, as well as robots and a small black cat that jumped right into Dr. Briefs arms and crawled over and around to perch on his shoulder.

Vegeta stared at the thing for some time as they headed through the house before his attention came back to what the doctor was saying.

“This way!” he exclaimed, and the champagne proved to have loosened his tongue as he admitted, “I may not be the only scientist with some brain and skill on this planet, but I do think my inventions are the most practical and useful, although Dr. Gero might disagree!”

“Who?” Vegeta asked.

Bulma explained, “He’s another scientist, a very well-known one, but his expertise is… questionable. I believe he’s been creating some type of android. A Humanoid-er…” she fumbled, “A carbon-based look-a-like machine, anyways.”

Vegeta thought on that for some time, curious about the invention, but Dr. Briefs was saying, “Yes! He’s a madman! But I suppose where there’s a will there’s a way! We shall see what he comes up with. I’m sure it won’t be the last time someone tries to create a fully functioning artificial intelligence.”

“Oh! Gives me the creeps!” Bunny cried.

“Well, anyways,” the Doctor nodded, “This invention I’m going to show you was only recently finished, and when Bulma suggested this machine for your _personal_ use I couldn’t help but agree. We’ve sent one to planet Vegeta already to get a second opinion from some of your scientists, and I understand they’ve made some impressive changes to it that I honestly hadn’t thought of, but I hope they haven’t spoiled the surprise for you.”

Goku began to get the strange feeling that something is going on that he’s been missing since he was sent to Earth with them, but he couldn’t quite place what it is, or where the feeling was coming from. He wondered to himself though, that if Capsule Corp. truly wants to give this machine to Vegeta as a gift, then what is the occasion? Is this why they’re here? Did the Briefs family invite Vegeta, and he’s just making some rounds, or is there something else going on? Goku honestly couldn’t believe he’s just now thinking about it, but in all of the conversations he’s overheard thus far, nothing seemed more important than this one, and nothing seemed to make Vegeta happier or more eager.

Vegeta was as calm and collected as he possibly could be the moment the doctor opened the door to reveal his secret-not-secret machine and he feigned ignorance as he asked Dr. Briefs to explain what the contraption is for.

The Doctor grinned as he told him, “We call it a Gravity Machine, it’s the first of its kind, and Bulma’s idea was to use it as a simulator. Something to give you an edge during your rigorous training regime.”

Goku suddenly felt glad and pissed that he’d revealed it to the Prince beforehand. Glad because he’s ruined their surprise, but pissed because Vegeta _is_ enthralled by that thing, and now he’s going to have to test this one out just like the last one. Vegeta’s going to use him, _again_.

The Prince listened closely and pretended to be hearing all of this information for the first time as Bulma went into great detail about his new toy, and she spoke conceitedly as she remarked that it will go up to one hundred times Earth’s gravity and that it is in perfect working condition, although it hasn’t been tested on a person yet. She offered him to try it out and there was something else in her gaze as she did so, and Goku noticed that perhaps she wanted to see some of his strength, and he assumed that maybe she is a little scared of him.

Then Vegeta turned to Goku and said, “Kakarot! What do you say to having a little fun inside, hm?”

Goku’s dutiful nod was accompanied by an empty stare and his eyes pierced Vegeta’s as he replied, “Of course, Sire,” and then he removed his jacket and his shirt and headed inside as the door was opened by the doctor and the doctor followed him inside to show him the controls.

Bulma and Bunny gawked at Goku for a moment, but the gears of Bulma’s mind were turning. She was surprised not only by his physique, and by his many scars, but also by the name the Prince had just called him by, and she wondered to herself for a moment, but she snapped out of it quickly and resumed her speech to Vegeta, adding unnecessary details about the machine.

Leno and Emeri commented on how excellent the machine is- in awe by it. Vegeta wasn’t listening to any of it though. His eyes were fixated on Goku, and his scorn at Goku’s attitude just now, as well as his suspicion of the machine and the creators, and his nervousness at being here under such pretenses, were barely well hidden behind his steely gaze.

Goku’s blood and his adrenaline was pumping, and when he had heard enough from the doctor, he told him he was ready and so Dr. Briefs left and shut the door behind him.

The doctor said, “I’ll go to the controls out here and make sure that everything stays normal on this end.” He pressed a few buttons and a screen popped up, showing the inside of the chamber, with Goku standing perfectly still with a serious look on his face. The doctor said, “I should be able to override it if anything happens, your Highness.”

Bulma turned to Vegeta suddenly, as sure as Goku was starting up the machine, and she said, “I thought his name was Goku? But isn’t that a human name? Just then you called him Kakarot?”

Vegeta’s eyes blipped to Bulma’s for a moment, and then back to the machine and he was watching as Goku started powering up, and he replied, suddenly more withdrawn than before, “Yes, and?”

“It is him, isn’t it? The child who was sent here to destroy us!” she asked harshly, “And his brother practically forced us into collaboration with your people! It _has_ been working out, but, but why would you bring _him_ of all people?!”

Vegeta looked at her with sharp eyes and he smirked and asked as he chuckled, “You think Commander Raditz acted on his own accord and not out of orders?” he chided, “Kakarot loves the Earth. He was merely a baby when he was sent here! And he was sent here out of orders by _Frieza!_ ” He turned his eyes back to Goku who was darting around inside with a solemnity in his eyes that made Vegeta tense. He added, “What if _Frieza_ **hadn’t** been destroyed? You would have wished Kakarot _would_ have killed you all!”

“Is that so?!” Bulma argued defiantly.

“Yes. And what if Raditz had not killed King Piccolo all those years ago, hm? Seems to me that your people were destined to be ruled by some type of overlord,” he laughed darkly, turning back to face her, “And you’re worried about _him_? You shouldn’t be,” he said, and he successfully gave her the impression that it was _himself_ that she should be worried about, and not his bodyguard, before his eyes went back to focus on what Goku was doing inside of the machine.

Leno, Emeri, and Bunny all grew alarmed as they listened to the conversation shared between the Prince and the young scientist and they saw her anger surfacing in spite of her will to control it and they saw Vegeta’s pride taking over in spite of orders to hide it. The Doctor, however, was certain they weren’t as serious as they sounded, and he was much more interested in trying out his machine on the incredible body of a Saiyan, and so he watched his screen’s visual of what was going on inside, and he told Goku he was going to start taking it up a notch.

Goku came to a halt and a smirk on his face could be seen on the screen and his reply could be heard as he said, “Go ahead.”

Bulma glared at Vegeta unabashed and retorted, “We should just be thankful then, is that it? Are you a friend or foe, or what?!”

He turned to her and answered, “We spared your people, did we not?! And we have never been unethical in our business trades! Are you afraid of us, is that it?!”

“No!” she bristled, “We’re far too valuable to your people by now! And besides, I don’t know what I find most disturbing- your tails, or _your_ pompous attitude!” At that Vegeta growled, but Bulma continued, “You think I don’t know what you’re doing here? You’re shopping around for all of this world’s highest-class women! You couldn’t pick someone from your own planet to get married to, you have to pick from ours?! And some of them are even stupid enough to fall for your ‘Prince of a mighty warrior race’ gag!”

“And yet here you are, inviting me, giving me a _gift_ , and I’m _not_ supposed to think anything of it?!” He contended.

“I’m a _scientist_ not a _philanthropist_! And I’m a businesswoman aside from that, not that you know what it’s like to barter or trade without using force!” Bulma spat.

The doctor turned at the sound of their raised voices and only then did he become alarmed, while Bunny was stunned to silence. Leno and Emeri tried to interrupt but Vegeta and Bulma were face-to-face now, arguing heatedly.

Vegeta argued, “So you rely on a more manipulative approach is that it? And even if I was interested in you, you certainly aren’t recommending yourself! I haven’t married out of _choice_! Can you say the same, Bulma Briefs?!”

She said, “Oh ho ho! Are you insinuating that no one has ever proposed to me?! You’re wrong, you know!”

Vegeta sneered, “You’re nothing but a selfish, arrogant woman who’s still stuck in her infantile fantasies about impossible quests based on ridiculous stories about ‘Dragon Balls,’” Her eyes widened, and he added, “Oh yes, I’ve heard much about you! And what would you wish for if you ever found them all, anyways?!”

She snapped, “That’s none of your concern! As though you’re not secretly hoping they exist! You just want to take over this planet and everything in it! You’re not fooling _me_! You’re nothing but a prideful, egotistical maniac who cares about nothing but getting stronger- wherever _that_ will take you in life! I’ve heard alllll about you, _your HIGHness_!”

“And this is how you treat royalty?!”

“Royalty or not you haven’t earned my respect and I’m convinced I could never love you!”

“I’m a Prince of Kings! And I have responsibilities to do what is best for my people! Who said **anything** about love?!”

“First you threaten me, now you criticize me?! Some KING!”

“SOME _QUEEN!_ I can sense your displeasure and your-”

“OH, _You_ couldn’t sense-”

Just then a loud, obnoxious noise came from Dr. Briefs computer screen. Vegeta and Bulma stopped arguing and turned their attention to the screen, as did the doctor and everyone else.

Dr. Briefs cried, “Oh no! The machine! It jumped from 25 times Earth’s gravity- now to fifty--” and he looked up to see that Goku has collapsed. “He must have damaged the controls! We have to get him out of there!”

The doctor tried to shut it down from the outside, but it wouldn’t cooperate. He said, shaking, “Seventy-five!” and everyone could see Goku inside struggling to stand up, but refusing to give in.

“100…”

Emeri cried, “Get him out! He’ll be crushed!”

Then the machine went back 25 and Goku made his way over to machine as quickly as he could, and turned it off, before blacking out.

The party moved to another part of the house after they successfully got Goku out of the chamber. As per Vegeta’s commands, Emeri grabbed Goku’s shirts, and Leno carried the young man with them and set him down on a couch in the open room, which was connected to a balcony. Vegeta commanded Emeri to open the door of to bring some fresh air into the room. Bulma and her father brought one of the computers with them to try and see what happened inside to cause the malfunction, meanwhile Bunny went to the connected kitchen and started whipping up something for the party.

Vegeta had been watching the screen from a distance for some time and then he suddenly began pacing the floor. Goku was lying unconscious. They gave Vegeta a senzu bean to give to Goku, but he hasn’t woken up, yet, so he stuck it in his pocket for now. Emeri and Leno accepted the coffee that Bunny offered them, but Vegeta declined, and the other two Saiyans sat sipping on it while they waited, and Bunny went back into the kitchen before coming out and serving them some light snacks as she watched her family work.

The housewife made her way over to Vegeta and said, “I’m sorry, dear, I guess it wasn’t ready. I do hope you and Bulma can get along, though, she’s a strong-willed woman, but a good one, and I can see that you’re a strong-willed, good man, too!”

Vegeta’s eye twitched and he didn’t reply and he didn’t look at anyone, he simply turned to look out at the night sky, although nearly all of them were looking at him.

Bulma sighed, having heard what her mother said, and knowing that she’d made an ass out of herself. She stood up from looking at the computer over her father’s shoulder and said to the Prince, “This was not supposed to happen. We’re going to have to look further into it to figure out what went wrong, but it will be fixed.”

Vegeta’s back was to them all, and he didn’t say anything for some time until he finally came out with, “Very well. We will head back to the hotel in the meantime. Leno, get Kakarot.”

“Sire,” he nodded and went over to the couch and picked him up. Emeri stood as well and the two of them waited for further instruction.

“B-but, your Highness,” Dr. Briefs said, “We haven’t called for your car, yet, won’t you stay a little longer? You could even stay the night if you wish? We have plenty of rooms…”

Vegeta turned to him and let his eyes fall to Bulma’s as he replied with a clenched jaw, “We have no need for cars or any of your other flying machines, and while your hospitality is appreciated, I must decline as I have _other_ plans for tomorrow which I must attend to,” and then he looked at the doctor and added, his eye twitching again ever so slightly, portraying his annoyance, although his speech was well-delivered, “I will come back by in a two days as we had previously arranged, and perhaps by then we will have the opportunity, and the proper state of mind, to get to know each other better. Thank you for the wonderful dinner, the stimulating company, and the clever present. Good night.” He turned and walked out onto the balcony, before taking off in the direction of the hotel, followed by the others.

The Briefs family watched amazed and Bulma couldn’t help but wonder if perhaps she did overreact due to her own insecure apprehension after all.

The party landed directly onto the balcony of Vegeta’s room, but the window was locked, so they hopped onto Goku’s, and luckily it was open, and they all went inside and then into Vegeta’s room. Vegeta commanded Leno to set Goku down on the couch again.

“My Leige,” Leno began nervously, “I am sorry th-”

“Go,” Vegeta ordered and both Emeri and Leno left the room quickly.


	12. 12

Chapter 12

Goku awoke sometime later. His eyelids fluttered open and then closed and he felt drained, sore, and weak, and there was a faint sting on his cheek, but he didn’t remember getting hit. In fact, it was all a little fuzzy. Then he was slapped, for sure, just hard enough to jolt him, and his eyes shot open and he whined a little. He winced in pain and then looked around before seeing Vegeta, and then he realized that he’s lying on the couch of Vegeta’s hotel room, and the Prince is currently staring him down with a look somewhat mixed between concern and contempt with a tinge of something else indiscernible. The Prince’s lips parted for a moment, then he scowled again, and his eyes narrowed.

Goku groaned, in a lot more pain than he first thought the more he shifted his body on the seats. He was groggy in spite of being smacked awake, and he squeezed his eyes shut again, but as he opened them again, he saw that Vegeta had come even closer.

The Prince is still dressed in his suit, although now he only wore the undershirt, which is tucked into his slacks, the top few buttons on his shirt are undone and his sleeves are rolled up. He leaned down to look at Goku closely and muttered, “You idiot.”

Goku sheepishly said, in a crabby voice, “Hey… What was that for?” He felt like he’d been hit by a ton of bricks and it barely registered to him that it’s still nighttime. Then he started to remember where he’d been last, and what caused him to be in such terrible anguish.

Vegeta must have been mulling over what exactly he wanted to say because it took him a minute to speak, but finally he came out with, “What were you thinking?” and his voice was quiet and stern and Goku thought he heard a little bit of a slur on the words. He continued to give Goku an incredulous look.

Goku sat up onto his elbows as it all came back to him, and he huffed as he held his head in one hand for a moment and he hesitated to respond. Running his hand down his face, catching his lower lip in his palm, he drawled, “What happened?”

Vegeta’s reaction was immediate this time. He jumped onto the couch, straddling him as he grabbed onto Goku’s shoulders and pushed him into the cushions. He demanded, in a low and serious voice, “You know **damn** well what I’m talking about! What, now you don’t remember anything?!”

“Gahh,” Goku exclaimed, not at all afraid of him, but surprised by how little room he was leaving him to move, and how much pain he is in, and he couldn’t help but be turned on by him in either case, and the feeling frightened him more than anything. Vegeta made him want to lose all control. _On_ _him_. He remarked, his eyes all over Vegeta’s face, as he tried to fight back his want for him, combat the soreness of his entire body, and figure out what he was talking about all at the same time, “The machine?! Is it destroyed or something?! I didn’t-”

“Keep your voice down!” Vegeta shoved him a harder.

“Sheesh!” Goku countered, smelling the liquor on his breath. He shifted a little bit under his weight, but lowered his voice as he asked, “I thought I was supposed to test it out! What do you want from me?”

Vegeta sneered but eyed him closely, keeping their proximity.

“I just wanted to see what it could really do,” Goku pouted, his chest rising and falling as other thoughts flickered through his head. “Didn’t you?” he asked smartly, “What happened?”

Vegeta pulled away and drew back into the darkness of the room to stare him down as he became shrouded in his own thoughts. He licked his lips and said, tersely, raising a brow, “Other than the damage to its controls, their egos, a new mountainous problem in between any future plans the Royal House had with the Briefs family, my _personal_ status with them, and not to mention the danger you got **yourself** into, _nothing_ _happened_!”

Goku moved to stand up, feeling weighty and exhausted, but much better able to think without Vegeta on top of him like that. Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest as he looked upon him seriously, and it was clear that he refused to drop the topic. Finally, Goku added, straightening out his pants as he sifted through his own thoughts, “I… I didn’t mean…”

Vegeta growled low, and argued, “That’s it?! That’s your excuse for locking up that machine?!”

He snapped in genuine denial, “I didn’t do it on purpose,” and then Goku sat back down, in too much pain to continue this conversation standing. He would’ve been annoyed, or at least more curious, if he had the wherewithal to feel anything other than weariness.

Vegeta’s growl deepened, but he came closer again, with his hand in his pocket, and then his hand suddenly shot out, and he rumbled, “Take it, damn you,” and he added, almost as though in afterthought, “I don’t even know how you’re still alive.”

Goku was too tired to argue with him, and he didn’t know what Vegeta was so upset about, but held his hand out, regardless of wondering what he was giving to him.

Vegeta dropped the senzu bean into his palm and said, “Eat it.”

Goku recognized the bean immediately and did as he was told. He felt life renew within him almost instantly after swallowing the seed, and he marveled at how much more powerful he felt and how quickly and fully the healing went to work.

Vegeta remarked, whispering still, desperately trying to keep from waking up anyone else, but too far gone to let it go, “Do you have _any_ idea what I’m dealing with right now?!”

Goku, who was only just now fully awake and wasn’t quite ready to have a conversation, much less an argument, simply replied as he stood up to face him again, “No…?”

The Prince said, pointing at Goku’s chest, “Of course you don’t! I have enough problems at hand without adding **you** as one of them!”

 _‘Me?’_ Goku thought, but then he watched as Vegeta rubbed his forehead for a moment and looked away as though he was contemplating something within himself, huffing again in distaste.

Goku realized as he surveyed the dark room that Vegeta’s probably been drinking this whole time and most likely hasn’t slept. Goku couldn’t understand why he was so upset, and despite his words, he didn’t seem to be truly upset at him. If anything, Vegeta was acting a little off. He sighed and gripped the Prince’s shoulder for a moment and said, “Relax, your Highness, for once,” and then he let go and went over to the bar, where he began to pour himself a drink. He said, “I’m sure they can fix it.”

Vegeta watched curiously, stunned for a moment, and then asked, with a sarcastic bite, still keeping his voice low, “What are you doing? This isn’t cocktail hour.”

Goku continued his task and replied, “Honestly, I don’t even know what time it is, but it seems the night isn’t over, and I could definitely use a drink.”

“Wh-”

“You want one?” he called over his shoulder.

“No!” Vegeta snipped.

“Well,” Goku hummed, “I don’t think a night cap is going to hurt anything.”

Vegeta stammered for a second and then growled, “You are avoiding the subject!”

Goku pounded a shot and answered, turning to face him for a second, “What’s the subject, again? That machine?” he turned back to pour another shot, “Ours is better than that one… Right?” He added with a small bite to his voice, “That’s the whole reason I’m here, isn’t it?” and then he took the second drink.

Vegeta scoffed as he came forward and whispered, trying desperately to keep his voice down, “That’s not what-” he shook his head, “You- That machine- !!” and then his train of thought changed again, and he turned away and began to pace around the room, running his hand through his hair. In his distress he suddenly admitted, spinning around on his heels to face him again, “You have **no** idea what you’re talking about!”

“Well, what are _you_ talking about?” He poured a third shot casually and watched him curiously.

Vegeta stammered, “I- huh!” and then he whispered harshly, “You know what- Have your drink! I’m going to bed!”

Goku took the third shot before mumbling, “Whatever you say,” to himself as Vegeta was walking away.

Vegeta turned to him at that and growled, “What was that?!”

Goku looked at him, blinked, and blushed. It took a moment but Goku finally replied, “I said…”

Vegeta proclaimed, “You think you know better than me?! Is that it?!”

“No…”

“You know exactly what to do, don’t you?”

“Um?”

“Never to worry, _Kakarot_ thinks it’s going to be _A-Okay_ , hmm?”

“Well-”

“You don’t think I know how ridiculous this is?!”

“… What?”

“You think I _want_ this?! I don’t want _any_ of this!” and he gestured to their surroundings.

Confused, Goku replied, “What is it… that you don’t want… exactly…?” He didn’t know where their conversation was going, where it began, or where it would end, and he began to feel a little silly for even trying at this point.

Vegeta’s eyes widened and he went to closer to Goku and his gaze caught on his eyes for long moments as he thought about a suitable reply, but he must have been overwhelmed by his thoughts because he didn’t say anything as he searched Goku’s face for some time. His eyes narrowed but they didn’t focus. After another moment he seemed to be withdrawing into himself again.

Goku smiled gently as he looked down at him and said, “Hey, it’s okay. Can’t you just tell me… what’s going on?”

“Feh!” Vegeta looked away and Goku saw that either he was _blushing_ , or his face was flushed from his angry outburst a moment ago.

“What’s got you so worked up?” Goku asked gently. As he drew closer to him, he couldn’t help but look him over a little and smile. He just couldn’t help it- as angry as Vegeta is, and as serious as he sounds, he still found it all a little… cute.

Vegeta remarked, “ _You_ are nearly the _entire_ reason I am **‘worked** **up’** out right now.”

Goku couldn’t help but laugh at that and his smile widened.

“You think this is funny?!” Vegeta spat softly as he came closer, and something in his eyes changed as he argued with him.

Goku rebutted in his innocence, “Well, yeah, a little!”

Flustered, Vegeta remarked, “You…” and he searched Goku’s face distractedly as he said, “…You need to be quiet.”

Goku lowered his voice and bit his lip. “Sorry… I just…,” he shrugged, “I don’t know why you’re so upset. You sure you don’t want another drink?”

“No! Damn it,” he hesitated, and sighed, and upon second thought he smirked a little bit to himself, as he added, “Well, maybe…”

“Okay,” Goku replied, happy to see him calming down a little. He asked as he picked up another glass and filled it a little way up, “So,” he went to hand it to him, “Is there something else? Or-”

Vegeta swatted the glass out of Goku’s hand and pulled him in for a kiss, unabashedly. Goku’s eyes widened at the new exchange, but they closed, and he moaned into the kiss when Vegeta cocked his head to the side and coaxed his tongue out of his mouth. Forget another drink, Goku tasted the liquor on Vegeta’s tongue, and his kiss was enough to make him feel more drunk than he actually is, and a little weak in the knees. And oh, fuck, did he feel buzzed.

Vegeta leaned into him, and began pushing him up against the bar but Goku pushed back, afraid of knocking over the stand and making more noise than necessary, not to mention the clanking of the glass Vegeta had just knocked out of his hand. More than that, he was afraid that if he didn’t lock Vegeta in his arms right here and right now, then he would try to pull away from him again.

His fear was for naught. Vegeta’s hands felt up and down his chest and shoulders, and his tail wound around Goku’s waist, locking tight. Vegeta pressed back, again.

Goku wanted to ask him what this was about, but he refused to break up their make out session for anything and his grip lowered to Vegeta’s ass, where he squeezed with strong hands, and pulled him impossibly close, making sure his implication of taking this to the next phase wouldn’t go unnoticed.

“Can you be quiet?” Vegeta asked, his lips moving downward to nip at Goku’s neck.

“I, ah… I didn’t say anything,” Goku whispered, exposing more of his neck to his talented mouth.

Vegeta moved away smirking, and chuckled at his answer, and then, pulling him with his tail and luring him with his forward hands, they stumbled through the living room and began heading to his bedroom, and they continued their kiss, regardless of the distraction causing them to run into the walls and the furniture a few times on their way.

Before Goku knew it, they were inside Vegeta’s room, and Vegeta unwound his tail from his waist and practically slung him onto his bed. The door was closed, and Goku gulped and moaned again, incoherently falling back into the sheets as Vegeta was there, on top of him, pressing him into soft bedding. The Prince’s scent filled the room and Goku’s tail unwound from his waist as his heart pounded in his chest as they resumed their kiss. A few moments later Vegeta pulled away again, and stood at the foot of the bed as he removed his shirt, button by button, as quickly as he could.

Goku was too infatuated with him to be shy at this point and he immediately came forward and began to undo Vegeta’s pants, but he only did so just enough to pull them down, along with his briefs, and expose his already hardening cock. Goku grasped it firmly, impressed by his size, and he pumped it a few times for good measure, looking up at Vegeta with longing and mild disbelief. Vegeta looked down at him with a look he only ever imagined seeing before, a soft sensuality in those usually stern eyes, and for a moment they both considered what was about to take place.

The moment passed as Goku slid off the edge of the bed and moved to get on his knees in front of his Prince. By the time he licked the tip of Vegeta’s swollen member, the older man groaned and was now achingly hard. Goku breathed over the tip as he tasted him before he put the head in his mouth and sucked gently. He alternated with another gentle lick on the tip, forming his tongue around his curves as he pulled Vegeta’s pants down the rest of the way, running his strong hands back up his legs with reckless affection.

Vegeta hummed in appreciation, his tail whipped behind him and his hand settled on Goku’s neck as Goku began to work his mouth over him torturous and slow. Vegeta didn’t press him for more at first, simply watching and petting as they both explored this new experience.

Goku’s eyes flitted to Vegeta’s from time to time as he used his whole mouth over Vegeta’s dick, sucking harder by the moment, and taking in more as his nervousness waned. Eventually he found a rhythm and he kept it, but only on the top part of Vegeta’s dick, as he used one hand to hold his cock in place, and the other worked quickly to undo and pull down his own pants. Once freed, he fisted his own cock, with Vegeta’s in his other hand, and sucked and jerked to the same beat, relishing in every moan and gasp he was able to elicit from the other man. He groaned, and he tried his very best not to hum too loudly over him, but Vegeta seemed to encourage every movement and every noise, no matter how loud or quiet, or how subtle or shameless.

Without warning, Vegeta pulled Goku’s head back by his hair, and with his other hand he brushed Goku’s bangs to the side and he smirked wistfully down at him as Goku looked up, biting his lip. He helped him up and they removed their shoes and let their pants fall off as they crawled onto the bed and onto one another.

Vegeta kissed Goku again, but this time it wasn’t with the desperation of a man who wanted a distraction, it was with the longing of a man who wanted something authentic. They continued to grind together, gripping one another suggestively and getting lost in the new sensations of one another’s bodies. Vegeta’s tail was gliding up Goku’s leg and he was just about to press for more when Goku lost all reservations and flipped their position, forcing Vegeta under him, and into the bedding.

Vegeta chuckled and wrestled him again for the top position, nipping at his neck before going back to attach his lips to Goku’s. Goku grunted into his mouth and allowed himself to be overcome for a little while longer before bucking his hips upwards once for good measure, eliciting a quiet moan from Vegeta, and then he flipping them over again, crushing Vegeta’s body with his own.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Vegeta whispered carelessly as Goku’s mouth attacked his neck and his upper chest.

“Making memories,” Goku mumbled into his chest and kissed down his smooth skin.

“Mem…mories?” Vegeta replied breathlessly, surprised by his aggression and his admission. His hands were all over him, his back, his ass, his thighs, and even tugging at his tail. He’s not allowed to do that.

“Mmhmm. And notes,” Goku said, kissing his way back up his chest and up the other side of his neck.

“Yeah?” Vegeta smirked, allowing his playfulness to continue, intrigued, but he yelped as Goku found a ticklish spot in his ribs.

“Yeah,” Goku chuckled while Vegeta glared at him, but the Prince couldn’t be angry or embarrassed at Goku for provoking such a response from him for long. Goku’s tail found his and they wound together in the sheets as Goku pressed his whole body into Vegeta’s lithe one, and his lips found Vegeta’s again, just as his hand moved to press it’s way down his side and around to his ass again.

Goku lifted Vegeta’s hips up with one strong hand and immediately went for what he was looking for and Vegeta was clearly stunned by his implication, his persistence, and his strength. He thought about fighting him off, and reversing their position, but he didn’t. He thought about stopping him from going further or telling him that _he_ was going to be the one to top, but he didn’t. When Goku got to his entrance, teasing it with his finger, Vegeta froze up for a moment and his breathing came in quicker and hollower. He thought about arguing…

Goku’s chest rumbled out into a purr and the weight of his body comforted Vegeta, as he whispered into his ear, “I want you,” and he pressed the tip of his finger inside of him gently. “ _I know you want me_.”

“Kakarot,” Vegeta locked up again, “You -hhh- I- hhh!” Vegeta had never done this before, not this way, and he didn’t want to admit it, but he was right. He wanted him to fuck him. He’s always wanted someone to… someone he could trust. And here and now. On this planet. In this place… He smells so good. He feels so powerful against him. He sounds so sure. Vegeta wrapped one arm around his shoulder and for once in his life he resolved to letting his inhibitions go. He didn’t know why. He just did.

Goku pressed in deeper as Vegeta’s body began to relax beneath him and he pressed their lips together again with firmness and passion. He was afraid that he might give him a hickey if he kept his lips pressed to his neck like he was, or worse, and he couldn’t afford to mess this up. Vegeta’s breathy sighs were starting to get to him, and the more he worked his finger into him, the more Vegeta squirmed and bit back his own gasps and moans, and anything that escaped, Goku swallowed.

He added another finger after a while and the noise that came from Vegeta’s mouth made him curse. He wanted to bite down onto his neck so fucking badly and his dick was too hard to continue to ignore. Vegeta’s legs were widening to allow him more access, and his tail was squeezing his hard while his hands pulled at Goku’s hair harder than he thought he would, but he relished in it. The younger Saiyan could feel their cocks twitching between them, and although he was settled as comfortably as he could be between his legs, he knew they could get into a _better_ position, and he didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to spend prepping him.

Goku pulled back from his kiss, their chests sweating at the friction between them, and he mumbled, “Ve… Sire, you’re so… sexy, I-”

“Shh, shut up,” Vegeta whispered, panting, but there was no venom in his voice. Vegeta didn’t want to hear any of the empty compliments he was so used to, regardless if he believed him or not.

Goku continued to work deeper inside of him and he hummed into his neck as Vegeta’s gasps came out shallower.

Pulling his face in for another kiss to keep himself from crying out, Vegeta commanded, urgent and sharp, “Fuck me.”

Goku could have cum right there but there wasn’t enough tension surrounding his dick to prompt that reaction. He knew, though, without a doubt, that he wouldn’t be able to last long if Vegeta kept on like that. Everything, even everything about _him_ , and _this_ , has been so pleasant and unexpected.

He removed his fingers and sat up, taking in the full sight beneath him for the first time, and if he didn’t know any better, he’d say that Vegeta looked a little nervous, but even so, all the hardness usually found in his eyes was replaced with desire. He grasped his hard cock and placed it at his entrance with one hand and pressed forward. Vegeta’s whole body tensed up and when the tip finally pushed inside the Prince cried out and he gripped Goku’s hips with one hand, while the other pulled at the sheets beneath him. His tail held onto Goku’s with a vicelike grip. Goku moaned at the pressure surrounding him, it almost _hurt_ he was so tight, and he fisted Vegeta’s dick, running his hand up the length, taking the precum at the tip of it, and spreading it back down. Vegeta groaned and relaxed again, readjusting himself in Goku’s lap and his eyes flickered from their junction to Goku’s eyes more than once.

Goku leaned down to kiss him as he pushed forward, and Vegeta cursed and tried his best to be quiet, following his own instructions. Goku purred. He was impossibly tight and Goku took his time pressing inside, still stroking his dick sensuously in between them. The Prince’s panting egged him on, and when he pulled back and pressed inside again, Vegeta threw his head back in and let out a guttural moan Goku was sure he hadn’t intended.

“Damn, Ve- You-”

Vegeta’s eyes flickered to his again and he gripped his jaw and moaned, “You can say it.”

Goku’s heart pounded even harder in his chest, and he pulled back and tried to push all the way in this time as he breathed, “Nm… Vegeta…”

“Ah…yes…” Vegeta kissed him and finally pushed back, locking their hips together.

They settled into place, Goku’s whole weight once again crushing him pleasantly, with his arms going underneath Vegeta’s shoulders, tugging him closer, and their lips met once more, as Goku fucked him without censure.

“ _Kakarot_ …” Vegeta panted. He raised his hips to meet Goku’s movements and he gasped and even whimpered, overwhelmed, and undoubtedly stimulated. Goku left wet kisses down his neck and Vegeta clawed down his back before grabbing onto the headboard with both hands when it started to rattle.

Goku held his hands in place with one of his, and pounded harder, moving his legs to spread a little wider, and angling himself even deeper. The Prince cursed as he stared into Goku’s eyes again. Goku agreed, lapping at the sweat on his skin, and tugging on Vegeta’s tail with his own, heightening their experience as he pulled at it roughly.

They fought to last as long as they could, and to be as quiet as they could, but neither man begrudged the other when it came time for release. It was long overdue, in many ways, and Goku moaned into his lips as Vegeta called him again by his real name with a wavering, strangled voice as Goku pumped his cock into a perfect release. Goku came inside of him with a matching groan and panted, before locking their lips together. Vegeta kissed him back in a way he couldn’t remember being kissed by anyone before.

“Vegeta…” Goku hummed, enjoying letting his name roll of his tongue without censure, and moving his swollen lips down to kiss his neck and chest where he planted soft kisses soothingly. He was spent, and so fucking satisfied, at least for the time being. His thoughts were filled with ideas of doing this again.

Vegeta said nothing in reply, he couldn’t. He didn’t trust himself enough. He had been just drunk enough- just lustful enough- just trusting enough to allow that to happen, and it felt good, so fucking good, but he knew it wouldn’t feel so good in the morning.

Fuck, the morning.

Goku pulled out of him, but his attention didn’t waver, and he continued to cuddle Vegeta, his tail tracing his sweetly, even as the Prince was contemplating his escape, or Goku’s removal, despite his lack of desire to make either happen at the moment. The moment passed.

“Kakarot,” Vegeta finally spoke, “You… can’t stay in here.”

Goku nodded in understanding against his chest, and he stopped his caressing, but he didn’t move away, immediately, he just sighed.

Vegeta was clearly feeling some things, that’s all he or Goku could discern, but he was gentle when he said, a little more seriously, “You have to go. Get a shower before you go to sleep.”

“Mmm,” Goku agreed again, and he sat up to begin removing himself, but he stole a kiss on his way and was pleased when Vegeta leaned into it, prolonging their afterglow. But Goku pulled away and after finding his clothes, he put them back on, picking up his shoes to carry with him. He began to head to the door, and he hesitated for a split second, hoping Vegeta would say something. Anything.

He never did, so he left quietly.

Little did he know that he just simply didn’t know what to say. Goku took a nice hot shower and passed out effortlessly.

Vegeta was up, showered, and dressed, and he seemed his normal self to Leno and Emeri when they arrived, handsome, reserved, and as always, a little aggravated, but he looked a tired, maybe not to a human, but in their eyes, he looked drained. Then again, they figured he would be by now, especially in dealing with this particular set of Royal duties.

Leno and Emeri didn’t know it, but he never slept. He spent the remainder of his evening/morning picking up any trace of evidence that _anything_ had happened last night and preparing himself for day to come, mentally more than anything. He’d opened all the windows and laundered what clothes he could. He called for some maids of the hotel early on to swap out his sheets just in case Leno decided to follow him into his room at some point. Hell, he even order breakfast _himself_ in order to fill the room with scents other than Kakarot’s, sweat, and sex, which he wasn’t sure were really gone, as hard as he tried, because they were all stuck pleasantly in his nose, lingering, and taunting.

He remained calm and collected when Emeri and Leno began speaking to him, although they were surprised to find breakfast already ordered, but Vegeta declared that he was famished and couldn’t wait any longer, making it seem as though he looks tired simply because he’s been up earlier than normal. They asked where Goku was and Vegeta claimed that he’d taken him back to his room last night, and he acted put off by the deed, and said that he wouldn’t be surprised if he was still sleeping after his near-death experience with the machine the night before. Leno began to bring up his itinerary for today but Vegeta’s anger spiked at that and he yelled, “Go stand in front of a mirror and tell yourself your witless recitations! I know what the plans are!”

Emeri stood stunned before she sniggered at Leno a bit. Leno bowed and left after that, and did not return for some time, despite not having eaten anything. By the time he came back, Goku was still not up, so he ate quickly, before enlisting Emeri to help him get wake the troublesome bodyguard.

Goku was dreaming a pleasant dream when they came in to summon him. He swatted them away with his tail at first, to which Emeri laughed, until at last, upon Leno’s persistence and aggression, Goku realized where he was and who was waking him, and got up right away, apologizing and asking them what time it is and what he’s missed.

Leno frowned at his lack of professionalism, but he seemed a little concerned all the same.

Emeri asked, surprised by him, “Are you okay? We thought you were dead back there!”

“Oh,” Goku sighed and smiled, “Yes, um, his Highness gave me a senzu bean last night. I’m fine.”

Leno sneered, and shouted, lashing out, “Good! Because we don’t need any more publicity on us here! _Bodyguards_!” he spat, “I guess you’re not hired for your brains, are you?!”

“Leno,” Emeri frowned.

He continued, “You were not properly trained for this! You were a burden to his Highness last night! And _we_ should **not** have to wake you up! And you should not have damaged that machine! It was a gift! You could have ruined everything!”

“Huh?” Goku wondered while Emeri argued, “ _Leno!_ ” at the same time.

Leno turned to Emeri and said, “I understand why they chose someone like they did, but damn it!” Then he turned to Goku and added, “You let your big ego get in the way of things! A typical army quality! Another showoff! And look where it got you!” Goku frowned but didn’t reply as Leno went on to say, “If it wasn’t for the secretive nature of this trip you never would have been invited- Gah- never mind!” and with that he walked off, calling, “Get dressed in something nice! You should know at least that much by now! I have one more outfit for you, but it’s for tomorrow. So mix and match today for all I care!” and he slammed the door on his way out, grumbling something about being an errand boy for the Prince and having to wake up his illegitimate colleagues.

Emeri sighed, “He does have a point, you know. But it’s not your fault and I think you do a pretty good job, actually. Don’t take it personal. He’s just stressed. Especially considering how serious this trip is for his Highness. For us all really.”

“Uh, considering how… serious this trip is?” Goku asked, confused at why he was getting yelled at upon waking up again, and even more confused about the topic this time around.

She smiled, and giggled at him, “You really haven’t figured it out by now?”

“Figured… what out?” Goku wondered, yawning as he stood up, and he thought to himself, _‘Man, Vegeta’s probably exhausted and hungover if I’m feeling this tired. How long did I sleep?’_

Emeri rolled her eyes and headed to leave, “Just get dressed, and hurry up,” and then she called as she was closing the door behind her, “Breakfast is already cold, by the way.”

At that Goku dressed quickly, without thinking much about anything except for their conversation and food until he entered Vegeta’s hotel room…

“Hurry up and eat, we leave in ten minutes,” Leno told him.

Vegeta was nowhere to be seen, but his bedroom door was shut tight.

Goku nodded and ate with zeal, but less thought than normal towards what he was doing, which is saying something. It wasn’t until Vegeta emerged from his bedroom, looking refined and withdrawn as usual, that Goku licked his lips and couldn’t help but recall every detail of the night before. He fought back a blush and focused on his food as he heard Vegeta tell the three of them to be ready to go in two minutes.

What followed for their day was another wave of jamborees with another bout of the richest of the rich. Vegeta feigned nothing different with these acquaintances than any of the others, and nothing more between himself and Goku and Goku tried his best to serve him without feeling… strange.

Not that Vegeta was acting weird, or that he didn’t know this is how it was going to go the day after. He knew. Of course, he knew. But he was tired, and the day was long, and the more time he had to be left with his thoughts, the more he began to realize that Vegeta had just used him again. He didn’t know how he was so good at persuasion, but Goku has been nothing _but_ persuaded by him ever since they met. At least, that’s what he’s calling it.

The few times Vegeta did speak to him he hardly batted a lash. There was no softness in his voice, nothing revealing in his gaze, and no body language which spoke of anything other than a Prince talking with his bodyguard.

Goku didn’t know why he thought there would be something more, or even worse, why he _wanted_ there to be something more between them, so he quickly decided to focus fully on his purpose. He eyed everyone with a serious gaze. He almost _hoped_ someone would try him, but they didn’t. He knew they wouldn’t.

He wondered why he was letting “the day after” bother him, but he couldn’t exactly say. It never had before… even in the army, with the _married_ men, or even his supervisors… the social distancing had never bothered him _then_. He resolved to leave it alone, to not hope for anything more, and be done with his attraction once and for all. He’s finally gotten it out of his system. Right?

As the long day was coming to a close, Goku determined that this had been the worst day of them all, and he grew tired of the women who tried to get Vegeta’s attention with their sex appeal, and the men who tried to buy his time by practically offering all-out bribes. He came to the conclusion once again that the Earth is exactly how he remembered; a beautiful place filled with shallow people. He stopped thinking about the Earth after that.

He wondered about his father and his brother, though. He wondered about Minala and her baby, and about his army friends, and even the friends he’d left behind to go and live at the castle. He wondered about his new friends at the castle. And finally, he wondered about himself and decided that he wasn’t really in love with Vegeta. He decided not to be upset. He had never been upset before… And he wouldn’t be now.

Luckily Leno and Emeri were none-the-wiser. Goku did his job, they did theirs, and he supposed Vegeta was doing his. Neither the guests, nor the Prince, nor his posy seemed privy to Goku’s thoughts, nor the occurrences of last night, and both he and the Prince preferred it to stay that way.

But he wondered at what Leno and Emeri meant earlier that morning. What _is_ the “secretive” purpose of this trip? Why _was_ he chosen so randomly to go with them?

He thought about Vegeta, but he stopped as quickly as he could.

At seven it was time for the night to end, and it was the earliest they had all come back to the hotel since they’ve arrived on the planet. On the way up the elevator Emeri, again, asked Vegeta what he needed from her, to which he didn’t respond right away. Once they got off and stepped onto their floor, Leno, who refrained from mentioning any of their plans for the next day, suggested that Vegeta take some time for himself this evening.

This time Vegeta obliged with an answer, walking up to his door, and he turned to them and said, “I think I will, Leno. And I think you should take the night off, as well. Same for you, Emeri…”

Goku waited for his name with bated breath, but it was never spoken.

“S-sire, what would you have us do?” Emeri questioned.

“Ask Leno,” Vegeta remarked, unlocking the door to his room, “He has all kinds of ideas on what other people should do with their time.”

Leno stammered, “Y-Your Highness, I-”

Vegeta chuckled as he entered and he removed his jacket and said, “Go, ‘paint the town’ as they say. You have my pay card. Have a good time.”

They bowed and left before he could change his mind.

Goku followed the Prince inside ceremoniously, but he couldn’t deny a new nervousness at having the night off with the Prince. Alone. Not that Vegeta makes him nervous. But for some reason he felt like he just didn’t know how to act, so he stayed quiet and out of the way for some time as Vegeta walked through to room and continued to get comfortable, seemingly unaware of Goku’s disposition.

Vegeta had gone straight to the door of the balcony and opened it, and then he went out and took a long look at the city below, and was cracking his neck, with Goku watching from afar, when he said, “Get out of the way of the door, Kakarot. If someone does try to come in, or _shoot_ us, or whatever it is they do for assassination here, you’re too easy a target.”

Goku laughed at that and came forward, responding, “I don’t think they don’t have any weaponry powerful enough to hurt us here.”

Vegeta turned to smirk at him and replied, “That we know of,” and with that he headed back inside.

Goku pursed his lips as he watched him. _‘You sure are paranoid,’_ he thought, but he kept that information to himself. He asked, sweetly, “Can I get you anything?”

“Are you my servant, now?” Vegeta remarked, going to adjust the air in the room.

“No, I’m not,” Goku replied, and he smiled at both himself and the Prince, realizing that this is the first full conversation they’ve had since this morning, and the last thing he wanted Vegeta to think was that he could walk all over him. He added, brave and sincere, “and I wasn’t asking out of some form of duty, but I guess you’re not used to that.”

Vegeta turned and gave him an indiscernible look but smirked nonetheless and looked away again as he moved through the room. Goku moved opposite of him, eyeing him discretely.

Silence ensued for another few moments before Vegeta said, removing his shirt and flinging it on the side of the couch, “Leno’s suggestion that we take some time to ourselves is the best one he’s had yet.” He smirked at Goku and added, placing one hand on the back of the couch and the other on his hip, “but I can’t very well send _you_ away, can I? So, what should we do in the meantime?”

Goku knew that look in his eyes, and oh, how quickly he lost his resolve. He loved seeing his sexual smize, and he smiled with one of his own knowingly in reply and came closer, being beckoned by Vegeta’s tail, which unwound from his waist and swung slowly and seductively behind him.

As soon as Goku got close enough he leaned in to kiss him, but Vegeta ducked suddenly, chuckling a little, and walked over to the balcony to close the windows and the curtains, but as he did so he added, “I think we should leave this place for tonight, we can go ‘exploring’ as you put it,” he turned back to him, “You said you know a place. Or were you bluffing?”

Goku smiled bright, “I know a place. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter drove me nuts. At one point in time I thought I'd never be able finish it. I'm FINALLY at a point where I feel good enough about it to put it out there, and I hope you all agree, but feel free to comment, and criticize, too, it helps.
> 
> I will say, I have a lot planned for this story, and I have NO idea how many chapters it's gonna be, but this is the last "finished" chapter that I had written, so everything else is gonna take a little more time. Thanks for sticking with me and for all the love and support! I really appreciate it!


	13. 13

Chapter 13

“‘Go get changed,’ he said,” Goku mocked and smiled to himself as he tore off the rest of his suit and quickly replaced it with something more to his personal tastes- loose-fitting pants and a comfortable shirt along with some normal shoes. He was glad he brought some of his own clothes, but even happier that he got to use them. He made sure he had his room key, phone, and scouter, before heading through the connecting door between their rooms and going back into the living room of Vegeta’s apartment.

The Prince was already changed and currently in the kitchen grabbing a few things while Goku watched curiously. He saw that he grabbed a bottle of champagne along with some food, which he popped into a capsule before turning to notice him. Goku saw that he was in some new attire as well, something much more laid back than his normal armor, or his recent suits, and he watched as he threw on a cloak and headed over to the couch.

He put the capsule into a pack that was sitting on the cushions and then flung it behind him as he smirked at Kakarot and told him, “Lead the way.”

Goku nodded, smiling back, and they headed out.

Vegeta followed Goku closely, wondering many things, but Goku wasn’t paying any attention to him or his thoughts. He was enjoying the breeze on his face and thinking about the freedom of being himself for once instead of acting like a guard or a human. They have been forced to do things the Earthlings way this whole time, and flying is so liberating. Besides, the excitement of bringing Vegeta with him to one of his favorite places in the universe and the hope he has of getting to know him better spurred him on, making him speed up during their flight.

Vegeta flew right along without a problem and to his surprise, Goku did know a place, and he was also impressed by Goku’s previous assumption that he would like it. He did. Very much. This planet, with its green scenery and its animal laden environment, both different and similar to their home, is beautiful, and the area they landed in was calming and secluded.

Goku called it a “natural hot spring” and the lake nearby he called a “rock quarry” and Vegeta wondered at the names for a moment, and their surroundings, the large trees and the sounds of nature, and he got lost in consideration, no longer thinking of why they were here, but of the promise of this land, and of the idea of owning it all… before he noticed Goku set down his phone and scouter and begin to undress. He stripped down to nothing and Vegeta stared at him with his mouth hanging open a little bit.

He couldn’t help but marvel at Kakarot’s gall as he appreciated the scene before him, but his thoughts turned inward quickly. He didn’t know what to think about himself, really. What had come over him last night to succumb to Kakarot’s whim and let him _fuck_ him, he didn’t know, and as far as what reasoning had made him decide to take the night off and follow his guard around this planet, he would never be sure.

He knew he shouldn’t be letting this happen, but even after last night he is still every bit as obsessed with him as he has been since he first saw him fighting in the early rounds of the tournament, despite the fact that he’s tried to hide his wandering eye from everyone else. Was he first interested because of his connection to Bardock and Raditz? Or, was it the fact that he’d heard of Kakarot’s conquests and victories in the army more and more the closer he got to winning the tournament? Or was it purely primal lust?

Maybe it’s just the rush of someone new? Someone so unlike him and all of his regal comrades… Maybe they just need to work this out of their system? Kakarot is clearly in the same dilemma. Maybe Vegeta needs to be clear about what this is between them, but he isn’t sure what to call it himself. He doesn’t know exactly why he’s been so harsh on him, much less why he makes him so hard just thinking about him, even when no one else is around.

He watched as the other man slowly dipped into the hot water and he was baffled by Goku’s unassuming actions and how at ease he seemed to be, not only with himself, but with his _Prince_.

Vegeta followed suit quickly though, ditching the cloak and the bag, setting it beside Goku’s things, and stripping off his clothes as he neared, not wanting to waste any more time, or get too caught up in his head.

This place and this experience is certainly not the type of thing a human would ever show him, but it is something he is much more interested in than anything they have introduced him to, and it’s definitely not the way anyone at the castle would be acting around him, but he can’t deny how much he likes the realness of Kakarot and his unabashed nature, even though he doesn’t know what to make of him. He even let out a sigh of gratitude as he stepped down into the waters.

Once Vegeta was all the way in, staying a little way away from the other, and still withdrawn into himself, Goku smiled at him, unaffected by his withdrawal. He pointed up at the sky and said, “Look at all the stars. They have their own set of constellations here. Dang! I just thought of another place we could go!”

Vegeta wasn’t so quick to respond, but he looked up nonetheless, deep in thought, and waited for Goku to say more, but he never did. Every time Vegeta glanced over at him he had the most stupid grin on his face and his eyes were dreamy and twinkling, as though he didn’t have a care at all. Vegeta wondered what that’s like.

They soaked for a few minutes, and the heat and the steam from the waters did wonders for Vegeta’s tense muscles and his emotions he likes to think of as nothing more than an unnecessary bundle of nerves. Goku hummed and smiled to himself with his eyes closed and Vegeta watched him closely, unbeknownst to him. After a few more relaxing minutes, Goku heard the waters stirring gently, and he opened his eyes to find Vegeta had come closer.

The Prince was staring at him again, like he seemed to always do, but his eyes were much softer, and Goku didn’t know if it was the veil of night playing tricks on him, or if Vegeta really was letting down his guard.

Goku couldn’t help but laugh, a little uncomfortable under his smoldering gaze, and ask, “What?”

Vegeta smirked and kissed him in response, coming onto him again, this time stronger than ever, but different from the other times he’s kissed him. Goku obliged, determined to make the most of the opportunity. The Prince pressed against him and made it known that he is capable of being passionate with ardency behind it for once. Goku was moved and brought his hands up to press into the Prince’s body and pull him even closer.

They soon got out of the waters and became a tangle of limbs and a choir of moans out beneath the stars not even an hour after they’d arrived. They didn’t even touch the food or drink that they’d brought with them.

Fingertips graced scarred but supple skin, tails traced curves intimately, breath lingered over sensitive places, and eyes watched longingly. Goku kissed every inch of Vegeta he could, sucking in intimate places, and gripping him with fervency and lust that he was trying desperately to get rid of, but couldn’t seem to shake. Vegeta returned each caress, sometimes tenderly, and sometimes roughly, and his eyes glowed as his lips tasted and conveyed messages without forming words.

They spent much more time in foreplay this time, tossing one another around playfully, regardless of how tired they both were. Their liveliness turned more severe, almost as though they were sparring naked, but both men, the Saiyans that they are, relished in every bite, and every welt as they flipped and turned amidst the soft grass.

Goku physically suggested more than once that he wanted Vegeta to bottom again, but the Prince laughed off his hints. Vegeta was impressed with how powerful Goku is, nonetheless, and each time the younger man squeezed him tight, he didn’t know if he was supposed to be feeling it so much, and he couldn’t separate one sensation from the other. Pain or pleasure. Power or prowess. Lust or adoration.

“It’s been some time since I’ve been in the army… Is this what you do now?” Vegeta whispered in between nips, “Fuck outside in the wilderness?”

“Hmm, you were so young then so I wouldn’t guess you’d know,” Goku replied playfully, “but I’m sure it’s not much different than what you do at the castle, on a bed, or off of one.”

Vegeta laughed and their mouths touched once more and talking ceased for a time.

Goku pushed Vegeta into the ground again, but before Vegeta could protest, he made it clear what his next move would be, by immediately climbing downwards and surrounding his hard dick with his warm mouth and a strong grip from his right hand.

Vegeta bucked into him in approval, interested in learning more about his reactions as well as his talents, and Goku hummed over him, laughing a little at how unreserved Vegeta could actually be, and he decided his new goal is to see him _completely_ candid. He worked him in his mouth for some time, getting his dick as deep into his throat as he could each time he bobbed downward. Eventually he maneuvered him all the way in and he held it there before pulling back to catch his breath and then going back down for another round. In his mind he was making notes about what drove Vegeta crazy, and he was hoping he was going to get another chance to explore his findings later.

Another minute of deepthroating his cock to the point of near tears and Vegeta suddenly sat up, leaned forward and pulled him away with a mischievous look in his eyes. When Goku came up, saliva dripping down his chin, the Prince got onto his knees and then toppled him over, pushing him back into the ground with intention. Goku opened his legs to allow him further access, knowing well what was going to come next and his nervousness grew.

Vegeta, who was much more secure with this side of things, planned to return the favor of preparation, and pressed the tip of his tail against Kakarot’s lips. Goku took it into his mouth and sucked rougher than Vegeta thought he would, but not disappointingly, as he stared up at him, clearly surprised to be doing something so intimate, but turned on completely. He hummed over his tail as he wet it and ran one of his hands up the length of it gently. Vegeta smirked but pulled it away as quickly as he had brought it to him, and then placed it at his entrance.

Goku’s breath came in faster from anticipation and the look in his eyes changed ever so slightly. The Prince couldn’t help but wonder if he’s ever been the bottom before. He certainly didn’t _look_ like a bottom, and he didn’t act like one, either. His breath rose as he pressed his tail inside gently, and Goku muted his cry, but Vegeta’s eagerness increased at the thought that maybe this _is_ his first time like this, and maybe that’s why Kakarot had fucked him so _naturally_ , and maybe that’s also why he’s so _tight_.

Goku’s tail wrapped around Vegeta’s arm as he tried to regulate his breath and his groans got caught in his throat. Vegeta pressed his tail further in slowly and Goku was grateful for his tenderness, and he watched every move, every muscle, every intake of air, and he listened for every sigh from Vegeta’s mouth.

Vegeta grasped Goku’s hard, leaking member and pumped it while he kneaded his thigh with his other hand, watching him grin a little beneath him at the sensation, just as his tail pulled out, then pushed back in. Goku arched back, displaying his gorgeous body, and the look on his face was wonderful. Vegeta leaned over him, pressing a hand up his taut stomach and onto his hard chest, and he kissed him as he pressed into him again. This went on for just a few more minutes. Goku tried his best to bite back his moans of discomfort, at least, until they turned into gasps of pleasure, and he kissed Vegeta back leisurely, reaching out to pump the Prince’s cock, indicating that he was ready to move on.

Vegeta took the hint and decided their foreplay was over. He removed his tail slowly and placed his dick against Kakarot before he pressed forward, only allowing the head to fit in, watching as Goku shouted this time, unable to control it. He groaned and gave him a few moments to adjust as they welcomed every sensation.

Goku hummed and opened his eyes when the pain started to dull and a new feeling started to stir, and Vegeta took it as a sign to press forward, so he did, and he watched as Goku began to pant again, and made the most beautiful expression that he’s ever seen. He only got a short way in before Goku told him to wait, gripping Vegeta’s thigh with one hand, his own cock with the other, and his tail tightened around the Prince’s arm even more.

The Prince licked his lips and moaned and then leaned forward slightly, wrapping his tail around Goku’s cock to free up his hand and pumping it gently a few times. Goku’s body slowly began to relax beneath him again, and Vegeta droned, looking from one of Goku’s eyes to the next, and said in a guttural voice, “I can’t believe I wasted so much time teasing you.”

Goku couldn’t help but let out a gentle laugh and Vegeta pressed in further for just a moment, before pulling back and then pressing in again, this time getting closer to filling him completely. Goku threw his head back and moaned and Vegeta grabbed a hold of one of his hands and kissed it tenderly, giving him a moment, and when Goku’s body felt less tense, he pulled back and pushed himself all the way inside.

Goku cried out and Vegeta’s tail pumped his cock a few more times, before the Prince readjusted their position and began and good, solid pace. A few hard presses into Goku’s impossible heat and the younger man began to press forward, meeting their hips, and letting out the most sensual whimpers Vegeta has ever heard. He was damn glad he wasn’t drunk this time so he could take his time and remember every detail as clearly as possible.

When Goku told him, “Fuck, yes,” in that sweet voice, Vegeta couldn’t help but crush their bodies together as he changed the angle again and continued to pound into him, going harder and sharper, and kissing from his neck to his lips, to his chest, and trying new angles in the same position, just to see what types of reactions he could get out of him, and storing them in the back of his mind for later. He’d save more positions for next time, too.

Goku moaned and Vegeta panted, filling him over and over again. Vegeta removed his tail from Goku’s cock and wrapped it around Goku’s thigh. He couldn’t help it when he whispered, “Kakarot, you’ve been driving me crazy,” into his ear, and he bit and sucked on his neck, pressing on his chest with his own and pulling on his hips with strong hands. They kissed intermittently as Goku gasped his name, until Vegeta pressed into him in such a way that Goku started losing control.

Goku ran his nails down his back, whispering, “Right there… ah, _Vegeta!_ ”

“Right there?” Vegeta moaned, memorizing the position.

“You’re gonna make me cum,” Goku whined and Vegeta hummed and grunted and he brought his lips to Kakarot’s as his eyes fluttered open and then closed as his breathing came out steadier, hinting he was close.

Then it was Goku’s turn to cry out, spilling himself in between them as he rode out his orgasm onto the Prince’s solid, pulsing cock.

Vegeta let him finish, but he couldn’t last much longer, not after seeing how sexy he is when he gets off like that, and so he pressed forward and followed suit.

“Fuck,” Vegeta exclaimed the word getting caught in his throat, as he captured his breath and he felt the sweet sensation of pure pleasure washing over him.

Goku’s eyes lifted to his for a moment but closed and his legs trembled slightly as he regained his breath.

Vegeta pulled out of him and rolled over onto his back, trying to regain his breath, and some sort of decent train of thought. Or at least find something worth saying.

Goku hummed again, licking his lips, and letting their collective good mood blanket him as he looked up at the stars. Finally, he said, crossing his arms behind him to rest his head, “Damn- You wore me out…”

Vegeta chuckled and replied, “Yes, I’m exhausted,” and he sighed contentedly, “We should probably get back soon.” He thought about getting up, but they were sweaty and dirt was clinging to their bodies, and their skin was covered with bruises and hickeys and scratch marks, and he assumed their clothes weren’t much better for the wearing at the moment. He stared out into the stars as he thought about what to do. They should probably get back in the water. Eating a little wouldn’t hurt. Maybe just one drink…

Goku was thinking much the same. Some of that food might be nice. Maybe a glass of champagne, too, before they head back. That water sure would feel good on the body…

Vegeta woke up to the sounds of nature surrounding him. _‘Why the hell are those birds so damn loud? They are much too loud to be outside… the balcony must be open.’_

When he finally opened his eyes, he realized his mistake. He shot up into a seated position, looked around, and noticed that the sun was just starting to come up.

“ _Fuck,_ ” he cursed. He was sure he had a message on his scouter from Leno, and probably a missed call on his phone from his father, who liked to bother him first thing in the morning.

Goku sighed as he woke up to the sound of Vegeta’s stirring and cursing, and he yawned and sat up, as well, and he realized what they’d done, and he knew immediately that’s what Vegeta was cursing about.

“Do we have to go back now?” Goku smiled at him, only half-joking.

Vegeta looked at him deeply and wondered what would happen if they didn’t, and also, what would happen if they did. He also wondered if Goku was kidding, and couldn’t help but glare at him, even as he assumed that he was by the cheeky look on his face. Then he remembered what was in his itinerary for the day and cursed again, quieter this time. He ignored every other stray thought for now.

“We can wash the clothes in a lake,” Goku offered, yawning again, “And we should probably take a good soak ourselves.”

Vegeta, again, didn’t respond.

Goku was aware that the Prince was considering the repercussions of their actions, but he simply didn’t feel like delving into any of that right now, so he moved to take care of what he could, and tried to figure out a plan in the meantime. He stood up, stretched, and then picked up their clothing, removing their key cards, and then took off before Vegeta could argue with him about it.

Vegeta looked around for the capsules, his scouter, and his phone, which he found near to Goku’s, and then he watched as Goku jumped into the rock quarry. He broke through the waters a few moments later and began to scrub their clothing clean before tossing them off into the grass nearby. Then, like it was nothing, he went to relaxing in the water.

Vegeta finally decided to get in as well and he dove gracefully, coming up to the surface after a moment, and then swam around a bit, lost in thought. When Goku glanced in his direction, he didn’t look like he was much enjoying himself. Vegeta got out first after only a few minutes and went over to his clothes.

Turning to him with a small smile on his face and admiration as he looked him over in the light of day, Goku said, “I can go back first if you want… and tell them that I followed you here. That you needed some time to yourself. I am supposed to be your guard, after all, it wouldn’t be so odd for me to have followed you, or for you to have dismissed me…”

Vegeta wasn’t quick to reply. Instead he picked up his scouter and listened to the message, and then his phone and checked it.

Goku got out of the water and picked up his clothes and he put them on wet, which was awkward, but one good blast of power dried him off. Vegeta, who was watching him out of the corner of his eye, did the same.

 _‘Are you disappointed that happened?’_ is what Goku wanted to ask him, but the words wouldn’t form as easily in his mouth as they did in his head. He knew better than to ask such a bitch made question. He didn’t want to know the answer, anyways, and even though he told himself he wasn’t going to wonder about it, he couldn’t keep the idea from forming, and he shook his head to try and physically rid himself of the thought.

“Yes,” Vegeta finally broke the silence, but he didn’t turn to face him as he said, “go and tell Leno and Emeri that I will be there shortly.” By now the sun had finally come up and Vegeta knew that he could not ignore the responsibilities of this day.

Goku nodded at his back, gathered his things, fitting the scouter onto his face, placing the other items into his pocket, and then he took off. It was an awkward morning after such a wonderful night. All the way back to the hotel Goku couldn’t help but think about him, and them, and... _ugh_. Goku frowned at the thought of Vegeta being even more distant than before, but he also assumed that’s exactly what would happen, and he considered his brother’s words carefully for the thousandth time. Still, he refused to dwell on it, for now. He mentally prepared himself to be disappointed, but emotionally he couldn’t get on any level of complete understanding, peace, or detachment.

The journey to the hotel room didn’t take too long, and he landed on his balcony, which he’s purposefully been leaving unlocked. Shortly after he arrived, Leno and Emeri were banging on the door of his room, demanding he let them in, which he did. They looked terrified at the absence of the Prince and they immediately began asking him questions, pointing to their scouters, and remarking on how far away he’s roamed. He waved the questions off with a smile, and promised that the Prince would be by shortly, but he didn’t say anything about why he left, where he was, or how long he’s been gone.

Leno continued to try to interrogate him, but interrogation is one of the many things Saiyans in the army were prepped for, and Goku didn’t budge, he only suggested that perhaps Emeri ought to order some food and that maybe Leno should consider his duties and leave the duties of the Prince’s livelihood to him. At that Leno shut up, clearly irritated at him (and perhaps he might have initiated a fight but that’s not Leno’s expertise and win or lose, he didn’t see the results going well for himself). Emeri left to order some food, seeing as how they all must be hungry, and she didn’t see it doing any harm.

Vegeta returned an hour later, and he refused to say anything to any of them about where he’s been or what he’s been doing, and he didn’t touch any of the food set out for them, whether out of stubbornness, pride, or lack of appetite, Goku couldn’t say. He locked himself in his room and no matter how gently Leno urged him to come out, he refused and threatened him with his life if he didn’t back off and leave him alone.

Leno took his threat seriously and suggested to the others that they give him some space and requested the two of them to come with him to his quarters. Goku followed reluctantly.

Once inside he closed the door and turned to them, exhaling a huff of air in disappointment.

“Leno, you don’t think that-”

“I don’t know, Emeri,” he shook his head before she could even finish her thought. “He’s so proud! Goku, what happened?! First, we thought you were dead- what a nightmare _that_ would have been- and now the Prince ran off to do who knows what?! And who knows how long he was gone!”

“Oh, I know,” Emeri cried, “The last thing we need here is bad publicity!”

Goku’s eye twitched at that remark, realizing that they saw Goku’s incident from the other night as more of a public relations issue than a loss of life, and that they clearly didn’t really care what the Prince was doing, they only cared if the Prince did anything that made the Royal House look bad. Goku looked away and tried to seem aloof and uncaring. As for Vegeta’s disappearance, they couldn’t have stopped him even if he’d told them he was leaving, and no one here can hurt him, so why should it matter? Why shouldn’t he have some time to himself?

Leno was watching him, hoping that he would say something to enlighten them, and he was suspicious, but he sighed and said in resolve, “His Highness must continue to keep up pretenses! I honestly didn’t think he was going to be this much of a recluse out here. You would _think_ that he’d be having the time of his life, but I don’t know how he’s feeling about all of this in the slightest and he hasn’t indicated _anything_ positive!”

“It’s been going well- Come on, some of those humans are… well, they’re not like us, but I think it went great- at Capsule Corp., especially,” Emeri replied, denying that anything was wrong.

Goku raised a brow but kept his mouth shut as he listened.

“But if he forgoes the meeting today, then everything we’ve been doing here could be at jeopardy!”

Goku wondered at that remark.

Emeri offered, “Perhaps he needs a day off, Leno… Can’t we reschedule a few things?”

“No!” Leno barked, “Things must go according to plan! We don’t deviate from our responsibilities! Especially not when it comes to the endeavors of the Royal House! I am under orders by the KING! Perhaps his Highness does need to get his mind off of things for a while, but that can be arranged **after** today.”

“Well, then make it happen, if you can!” Emeri sighed, “But you ought to be careful when speaking to him Leno! He is our Prince!”

Leno sneered, “I know! And this is ridiculous! I never thought I’d be trying to convince a **man** to- damn it! Never mind! Emeri, try and see if you can find a sport for him to get involved in, or a spa, or something… Something to make it seem as though he’s truly enjoying the human lifestyle, or that he’s at least interested.”

Goku interrupted, “Maybe what he really needs is to get in a good workout…” They paused and stared at him and he felt silly for having said anything, then he added, as an explanation, “It always makes me feel better. Loosened up, ya know?” and he blushed at their seriousness.

“It’s not a bad idea,” Leno nodded finally, “Yes, perhaps we _can_ allow for some time for a light spar… Or perhaps that’s what he was doing last night.” He groaned and put his head in his hands.

Emeri sighed this time, “I certainly hope he didn’t destroy anything! It wouldn’t be the first time he’s lashed out on someone else’s planet in such a way.”

“Don’t even mention it!” Leno remarked.

The conversation went on in this way for some time. Goku found himself annoyed, useless, and tired and he snuck off to go smoke a cigarette, get a shower, and think more about last night than about whatever it is they are freaking out about.

A few hours later and nothing had been resolved and Vegeta still hadn’t come out of his room. It was now eleven in the morning, and Goku felt as though he’d been up for much longer.

When the Prince finally called for them, Leno was the first to open his mouth upon them entering the room, and he began to speak kindly and was only going to gently offer suggestions to make the Prince’s day less hectic when Vegeta snapped on them.

“None of you are dressed!” The Prince barked upon assessing all of them and ignoring Leno, “What have you been doing this whole time? We must leave in thirty minutes at the latest! Go! Now! Clean up!”

They all three scrambled to find some clothing, Leno threw the last outfit he had for Goku at him after finding his own.

“What’s this?” Goku asked, confused as to why these new garments weren’t as fancy as the others.

Emeri laughed as she headed to her room, “We’re going a little more casual today, Goku. Still business, but no more suits for you men,” she smiled and closed her door.

Goku shrugged and hurried to get dressed in the khaki pants and blue button up shirt as they did the same and they were ready sooner than necessary but Vegeta was still pissed and it wasn’t until they were halfway to their destination that he finally started to cool off and speak more civilly to them, although he hardly said anything to any of them at all.

It didn’t take long for Goku to realize they were on their way back to Dr. Briefs house, and he wondered why they were revisiting the Briefs family, and sighed as he thought about how their two hour journey would only take a few minutes if they flew, and if they’d be going back to any of the other places they’ve been to. He hoped not.

“Prince Vegeta! Yoohoo!” Bunny called, looking much more casual today than she had the other night as she tended her plants in her extravagant garden, “Goku! Leno! Emeri! It’s so good to see you all again! Here, I’ll let you in, are you hungry?” she smiled sweetly.

Goku couldn’t help but like her and he smiled back in spite of his duties.

The Prince declined a meal but let her lead the way, and she took them back to the laboratory that they had all been in just two days ago.

Dr. Briefs was wearing an outfit quite similar to the one he’d worn at dinner, and staring at a computer screen, but Bulma, like her mother, was dressed more nonchalantly than Goku had seen any of the women thus far, but she looked no less beautiful, as she was helping her father put a few finishing touches on the Gravity Machine.

The doctor smiled at the Saiyans from behind his mustache, “Oh, welcome back! You’re early!” He raised his voice louder and called out, “Bulma! Come here!”

“Just a sec, Dad, I’m almost done,” she called from inside the machine, where she was reworking the wiring from the main console in the machine.

Vegeta watched her closely and it took the doctor speaking to him directly for him to tear his eyes away from the sight of the gorgeous, blue-haired woman working.

“I’m glad to have you back, Prince Vegeta,” he nodded at him and then turned to Goku and said, “and I’m glad to see that you’re doing ok!”

“Thanks, I am,” Goku replied and Vegeta seemed surprised to hear him speak but the doctor nodded, pleased.

“Well, I think I know what went wrong from the other night, and I believe we have it all worked out, now. But if you don’t believe us, I won’t pressure you. I have a confession, though. You see, I sent one of our machines to your planet already, and I talked to Dr. Buro yesterday. Ah, he’s one of your scientists, and he’s the one who has been collaborating directly with me in most of Capsule Corp.’s interplanetary endeavors. Anyways, it seems he found the same glitch in the machine I sent _him_ , but that he fixed it and forgot to mention it to me. I don’t blame him, though! Forgetfulness is a scientist’s way- when they’re busy anyways.”

Vegeta raised his chin and remarked, “Kakarot is fine, Dr. Briefs, the senzu bean worked wonders, but I’d hate for you to think that your inventions are the only reason I came here. If you can spare the time to take a day off, it would be my pleasure to return the favor from the other day. I owe you and your family a nice meal, and unfortunately my time on this planet is limited, for this trip.”

The doctor smiled at him and looked over at his daughter just as Bulma stepped out of the Gravity Machine with her tool kit. She blushed with embarrassment as she realized that the Prince _had_ come back, and earlier in the day than planned, and she was clearly not ready for company, but she came back to herself quickly, set the case down on a table nearby and removed her gloves and her protective glasses and said, “Prince Vegeta! The machine is good to go now, just finished up.” She put her hands on her hips in pride and added, “ _Goku_ , Leno, Emeri, I hope you’re doing well. Are any of you hungry? We have plenty of food, but if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go clean up.” She left quickly at that, but she didn’t flee. In fact, she flicked her hair behind her as she passed the Prince and sauntered away, knowing she was being watched.

“Well, would you like to test the machine again, young man?” The doctor asked Goku.

Before Goku could respond, the Prince interrupted, saying, “No. I will,” and he began to remove his jacket.

Leno and Emeri began to contest his decision but all it took with the lift of his hand and they stilled and remained quiet, and all of them watched as the Doctor took Vegeta inside to show him the controls.

Goku grew excited while Leno and Emeri grew nervous. He’s never seen Vegeta fight in person before, and he wondered at the show they were about to receive.

A few hours later and Vegeta was still assessing the machine, much to the impressed Doctor’s glee. Leno and Emeri marveled at his power and his form, and even Bunny, who had stopped by at one point in time, was mesmerized watching him. Goku smiled and his tail twitched in excitement as he eyed Vegeta training closely, memorizing some of his moves after a while, and studying his technique. Vegeta had taken it up as far up as forty times Earth’s gravity and he was still pushing himself.

He couldn’t help but think to himself, _‘Forty times Earth’s gravity isn’t that tough! I was in 100 times Earth gravity!’_ and he knew he was itching for a training session himself. However, he didn’t see that happening.

During the course of Vegeta’s shadow-boxing, Bulma had called to her father saying that she was busy with some work “things” and that she’d like to send a formal apology to the Prince but she won’t be available until at least six tonight. It’s already nearing four and Goku wondered at the change in plans, not that he knew the plans to begin with.

Upon Vegeta’s reemergence from the machine, he and the doctor took their time in speaking of the details and it became clear that the Prince was in a surprisingly good mood. So good in fact, that he was even a little mutable, so when the Doctor casually mentioned the scheduling mishap with his daughter to him, he at first didn’t know what to think, but quickly decided that he didn’t mind the delay. Then, when Dr. Briefs suggested the Prince could shower and change here and then take Bulma to dinner, _alone_ , Vegeta flinched, but ultimately obliged.

“In the meantime,” Dr. Briefs said, “Let me give you a tour of the house.”

The four Saiyans and the doctor went on the grand tour of the building and eventually came to settle in the kitchen where Bunny was cooking something for a little afternoon snack. Vegeta sent Emeri in flight back to the hotel to get him some clothes and when she returned, he asked the doctor where he could finally go take a shower. Dr. Briefs left with Vegeta to show him while the others ate and talked with Bunny.

It was some time before the doctor returned, but when he did, he had a smile on his face that Goku thought he recognized but couldn’t quite place the meaning behind. From there, the rest of them awaited Vegeta’s return and eagerly looked for Bulma’s appearance from whatever it is that she’s been doing for the day.

Leno and Emeri were both smiling and jovial, chatting it up with the doctor and his wife more so than Goku has seen them do with anyone else thus far, but Goku was not at ease, and when the Prince came back from his shower, looking handsome, regal, and put-together as usual, Goku couldn’t help but think that he seemed a little anxious himself, although he was putting on a good show of hiding it.

It wasn’t until Vegeta said, “Leno! Take Emeri and Kakarot out to dinner wherever you’d like. It looks like you’ll be able to have the night off again! I’ll be in touch with you later in the evening, but,” he looked at Dr. Briefs, “I believe I’m going to take you up on your generous offer for me to stay here for the night. You’ve asked me twice now, how can I say no?”

The doctor smiled and nodded in agreement with his decision as his wife squealed with delight at keeping their guest.

Leno replied, his eyes widened in disbelief, “Y-yes, Sire! Enjoy yourself!”

But Goku replied, “Your Highness, are you sure? I-”

“Come now, Kakarot. It’ll be fine,” Vegeta cut him off and lifted up his chin with prideful indignance, “I’m sure you’re tired of following me around all day, and I’m certain these two are tired of waiting on me,” and that was that. Goku couldn’t argue no matter how badly he wanted to.

Emeri and Leno thanked the doctor and his wife and bowed to Vegeta with wide smiles as they practically dragged Goku away and out of the building entirely.

They were back at the hotel before Goku could ask any questions and he wasn’t sure he felt comfortable asking them anything anyways, so he simply flew in tow and tried not to get overwhelmed in his own thoughts. This would be the first time the three of them spent any time together alone, and even though Goku didn’t want to be around anyone right now, he knew he didn’t have a choice so he figured he ought to try and make the best of it. They were in a good mood, anyways, what harm could it do? They landed on Goku’s balcony, which Leno told him that he knew he kept unlocked, and once inside the others hurried to their respective rooms.

“Where should we go, Kakarot?!” Emeri yelled through the hall, “You’ve been here before, right? Where’s the best place to go and celebrate?! And not like some stuffy place with champagne and roses, but a _real_ Earthly experience!” He could hear her giggling as she and Leno were getting ready, throwing off their business attire and changing into something a little more comfortable, but still respectable.

“Oh, um,” Goku thought to himself as he wondered around his room aimlessly, not interested in changing, and trying to focus enough to get out of his head for a minute, “I like Mexican food? Margaritas are awesome, and tequila shots are my favorite, plus the food is good- and quick, too.”

“As long as it’s low key,” Leno hollered, “and we can get a solid buzz, I don’t care! We’re celebrating tonight!” he came to Goku’s room and opened the door without bothering to ask if he was decent. He grinned at him and motioned for him to follow with his hand, “Let’s go! Hurry!”

“I’m looking up a Mexican place nearby on my phone!” Emeri cried from her room as she was finishing up getting changed. “Got it! You guys ready?!”

Goku was being dragged along again, but he couldn’t help but smile at the two of them as they headed down the elevator and through the hotel lobby. They ignored any press on the way out the door and practically jogged all the way to the closest Mexican restaurant. Once inside and seated, Leno and Emeri buried their noses into the menu for a moment, laughingly dancing in their seats and remarking on how interesting this place looks. The two of them pointed at all the items on the menu and agreed that margaritas and tequila shots sounded perfect and they quickly ordered a pitcher, a round of shots, cheese dip, fried jalapenos, and well, everything on the appetizer menu, really, before they finally started to settle down in their excitement a little bit.

They tasted the chips and salsa and once the first round of drinks came, Goku felt a little more at ease at knowing he could take some of the edge off with a drink, and he lifted his shot glass in one hand and his margarita in the other as they lifted their drinks and listened to Leno’s short but sweet speech.

“A toast! The first of many!” Leno cried, clearing his throat ceremoniously, “To a job well done! To us!”

“Ahhhh, I’m so excited! Cheers!” Emeri beamed.

Goku clinked his glasses to theirs, and they all drank, first the shot, then a sip from the margarita as a chaser, and then he asked, biting back a little as the liquor burned and as Emeri exclaimed “Woo!” and ordered another round of shots from a waiter walking by, “Um, what did we do… exactly?”

“Are you that dense?” Leno rolled his eyes, clearly letting loose, but he didn’t say it with any venom in his voice, in fact, he was grinning at him. He looked at Emeri, “Should we tell him?!”

“Tell me what?” Goku wondered.

“Oh, yes!” Emeri smiled, and looked at Goku, “I really can’t believe you haven’t realized what this is all about, but I suppose it won’t hurt telling you! Now you can’t say anything- to ANYONE- nothing is final!”

“Okay?” he looked at her expectantly.

She grinned at Leno for a moment before looking back at Goku, “Our Prince is going to get married!”

 _‘…What?!’_ Time stopped for Goku, although the restaurant was loud, and their laughter was obnoxious.

Leno bit into a chip as Emeri explained, “That’s the whole point of this trip- for him to meet the most eligible bachelorettes of Earth and choose one of them for a wife. A little unorthodox, I know, but the King thought that the Prince could marry a woman from Earth, have a Princess he won’t really have to deal with so he can continue to do his own thing on Planet Vegeta while she can rule Earth under his guide, and we’ll get the best of both worlds, literally.”

Goku looked from Leno’s face to Emeri’s before he finally voiced his one and only thought, “…What? I mean… Really?”

 _“Hopefully_ he picks Bulma!” she blurted out, after taking another sip, “We don’t know yet, for sure! But, ahh! This is a good sign! A very good sign!”

Leno nodded, “Yes, and I think she is a good match for him, not so ridiculous as the others, and she’s intelligent as well. And what luck! The Heiress to Capsule Corp! The richest of them all! It looks like the King was right! He has a mind for this sort of thing. He did say he thought that she would be the best choice. Her temperament matches Prince Vegeta’s quite well.”

“Well it **is** his son, of course he knows what’s best for him!” Emeri rolled her eyes. “And- Thank you, sir!-” she cried as the second round of shots came by, “And besides! I think it’s a fantastic idea,” she lowered her voice, “You know, combining the two races like this. One Prince will be born to Bulma to rule the Earth, and Vegeta can choose a woman of Planet Vegeta to bear him a son for the Saiyans…”

 _‘Vegeta…? Married…?’_ Goku’s mind tried to grasp the concept as he listened, _‘To rule the Earth?’_

“… Then the Saiyans who are interested in coming to Earth can live here without any scrutiny, and perhaps one day the Earthlings will be strong enough to come to Planet Vegeta, but that’s out of the question for now, of course, our gravity is too much for them, I think,” she rambled.

Leno shrugged, “Personally, I’m not even thinking about any of that right now. As long as the King is happy with our performances here, and as long as the Prince _finally_ settles down, the rest is up to them, not us!”

They raised their glasses again as all the blood continued to drain from Goku’s face the more the idea settled within him. They took the second shot and the other two made a face but Goku couldn’t taste it going down. Finally, he asked, “He’s… the Prince… is getting married… to Bulma?”

“Not so loud!” Emeri slapped him playfully on the chest, “I mean, he could choose anyone, still, but we had a feeling he was going to be most interested in _her_ , and it seems that he is! It’s crazy, I know!”

Goku balked, “But… they just met?”

Leno eyed him strangely, and asked, “Yes, Goku, it’s an arranged married of sorts. You really don’t know anything about Royal Protocol, do you?” he took a drink out of his margarita. Goku became annoyed at the comment but before he could reply Leno asked him, jokingly, “Emeri, I can’t stand it any longer! Should we tell him?”

“Tell me _what?_ ” Goku asked again.

“Leno!” Emeri laughed, interrupting him.

Goku blushed as Leno’s eyes were a little more focused on him than he was expecting. Leno added, chuckling, “You know, you don’t have to hide that habit of yours, Goku. Go ahead and light up. This news seems a bit overwhelming to you.”

Goku stammered and his blush deepened, “I- I just- wasn’t- expecting-”

“No and that’s the point!” Emeri nodded, taking a drink of her own, “No one was supposed to know that’s why we’re here! That’s why they held the tournament! So they could choose someone random to come with us!”

“Lucky you,” Leno snickered.

“Someone who wouldn’t try to sabotage the whole thing!” Emeri explained, “And who wouldn’t broadcast it, either!” she shook her head, “Leno another round of shots?!” He nodded and waved for a waiter, motioning for another round with his hand, as Emeri continued, “Goku, you know, it’s true the Prince doesn’t need any protection here, if they thought he did they would have sent someone else.”

Goku’s mouth closed from where it had been agape in his shock and he pouted slightly and thought hard on everything being said.

“Oh, I didn’t mean it that way!” she grabbed onto his arm, “Really! I mean, you are here more to look out for anyone trying to, you know, poison him!”

He turned to her and remarked, “Then what about the Briefs?”

Leno and Emeri barked in laughter and Leno said, “They’re businesspeople! They would never! The publicity!”

“Right, the publicity,” Goku murmured as he picked up his margarita and drank half of it in one go. He wanted to drink it all, but that might make him emotionally obvious.

Leno looked at Emeri and said, “I just remembered that Goku didn’t hear the argument Prince Vegeta had with Bulma while he was in the Gravity Machine.”

“Ohhh, you’re right!” Emeri smiled, then she turned to Goku again and said, poking him in the chest, “You didn’t hear any of that, did you?” she said slyly to Leno, “Maybe it’s best he didn’t, after all.”

“What?” Goku fumbled, denying everything, and still trying to put the pieces together, “What argument? And what does _that_ mean?”

Leno rolled his eyes and said to Goku, “Don’t think of us as fools, Goku. You really don’t think we know, do you?”

“Leno, don’t embarrass him!” Emeri pleaded, but she seemed eager to continue the conversation regardless.

“Know what?” Goku asked, not sure he wanted to listen to them anymore.

Leno and Emeri grinned at each other before the advisor finally said, “We know, Goku.”

Goku’s guilty face couldn’t be helped as he hoped they would just stop talking and not say what he thought they were about to say.

“Come on!” Emeri flicked her tongue, “Admit it! You clearly have a thing for him!”

Goku’s blush burned and his heart pounded in his chest.

Emeri’s laughter at the look on his face stung as she added, “Well, we assumed! But **now** we know for **sure**!”

Goku “eeped” a bit in embarrassment but he couldn’t speak.

“It’s okay!” she said mockingly to Goku, “I’m sure you still have a chance even after he’s married!”

“Oookaaay! I think that’s enough!” Goku finally snapped, overwhelmed at his feelings being called out and teased by two people he thought were completely obvious not two hours ago, but now he’s realizing how oblivious he’s been this whole time.

Leno laughed and Emeri giggled while their excitement rose and diverted as some waiters began dropping off some of their appetizers.

Leno remarked, after the servers left, “You haven’t been trying to hide it very well! We noticed you staring at him more often than not,” he scoffed, “So, tell us, did you finally get him to concede last night? I might be a little less suspicious if it wasn’t for how much you avoided answering my questions every time, I asked what the Prince was doing all night!”

“What?! No!” Goku remarked quickly, deciding that blushing and silence wasn’t going to help him get out of this one as Emeri laughed with Leno for the millionth time.

“I heard he’s worth the chase if you can manage to tempt him into bedding you,” Emeri wondered and Leno chuckled as he started tasting the food placed before them. She continued, “Although I have heard, too, that he can be quite pushy, sometimes choosing his lovers seemingly at random and then leading _them_ into his trap!” She stuck her tongue out at Goku as though she was joking, but she seemed more than a little interested, “And you’re a good-looking guy, I’d say you definitely have a chance if you haven’t gotten him into bed already! He prefers men, anyways,” she sighed.

Goku laughed off their accusations as smoothly as he could. Thank goodness the third round of shots came, and Leno proposed another toast, this time to Prince Vegeta and Princess Bulma, and they took their shots, the other two cringing, while Goku didn’t even feel it.

He then finished his first margarita, and said, filling up his glass again, “Well, since you said something about it, Leno, I think I will go smoke. Would either of you like one?”

Emeri put her nose up in the air and declared, since more of the food was starting to arrive, that she was fine right here at the table, but Leno said that he wouldn’t mind joining him. He finished his own glass and filled it up again, and then the two men headed outside with their drinks.

Once on the patio, out of the way from the patrons, Goku pulled out his pack with shaky hands and handed one to Leno, lighting his for him, before placing one between his lips and lighting up himself.

Leno eyed him closely and smirked a little before remarking, “You know we were just teasing you back there, don’t take it so seriously.”

“Huh?!” Goku smiled, trying desperately to ward off his discomfort, and replied, “Oh, I know! I’m not!” and he felt the body buzz from his cigarette beginning to take hold, as his whole mind buzzed unpleasantly.

“Good,” Leno said, taking a drag. After letting it out he stepped a little closer and added, “I mean, he is the Prince, but,” he leaned in and whispered, “Whenever you get tired of chasing him around, I wouldn’t mind having a shot…” he pulled back and added, as though he hadn’t just made a pass at him, “Just a thought.”

Goku’s heart would not stop pounding in his chest. He couldn’t believe anything he’s just heard, and he didn’t want to hear any of it anymore, or ever again. He laughed off Leno’s suggestion nervously and took another drag, but quickly changed the subject, asking him what he thinks of this restaurant and the drinks.

Leno continued their conversation coolly, like they were old friends, and when they finished and went back inside, Emeri greeted them in a joyous state and began talking about the food and how good it is, like nothing ever happened. She told Goku she approved of his choice for dinner, like she and Leno hadn’t just ripped his world apart, and Goku smiled at her and scratched the back of his head, not knowing how to feel, much less being able to at the moment, as they picked up their menus again and talked about what else they were going to try.

Dinner went by smoothly after that, but then again, Goku didn’t remember any of it. He remembered laughing and drinking and joking around, but he was drunk before they even got their main courses, and he lost count of how many shots or how many pitchers way too early in the evening. He barely remembered them paying for the meal or leaving. He barely remembered coming back to the hotel room. Did they go somewhere else, first? He barely remembered getting undressed and going to bed.

But he’ll never forget the hangover he had the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is about the point in time when I realized that this is quickly turning into a lifetime movie. All the chapters are going to get longer unless I want this story to be a hundred years long, which I don't, so yay for the over all, but boo for the updates. Actually I got this out sooner than I thought I would, but then again, I do have some extra time on my hands, so here ya go! I should have put sappy, emo, bs in my description but sometimes you think a story is gonna go one way and then it takes on a life of it's own... In any case, thank you all SO MUCH for all the love! Seriously!


	14. 14

Chapter 14

“Goku!” Leno called from outside of his room, “I hope you’re up! We have to meet his Highness at Capsule Corp in thirty minutes! Fuck those damn limos, too, we’re flying this time.” He opened the door when he didn’t get an immediate response, tired of waiting, “We let you sleep as long as we could.”

“Unhhrggrrhhhh,” Goku whined, thinking to himself, _“Noooo… No. Ugh.’_

“This is not the first time I tried to wake you up!” he barked.

“Mmmggrrrmm…” Goku threw the blankets over his head to try and drown him out.

“Bodyguards! You’re all the same!” Leno complained as he slammed the door shut again.

He wondered who, exactly, Leno was comparing him to, and he huffed at that remark. He has been nursing his hangover for hours now, sleeping off and on, and nothing was making it go away, but that wasn’t the worst part of this morning. The worst part was remembering everything he learned the night before, and not remembering what he did or what he might have said. It’s been a long time since he’s gotten that fucked up. In fact, there was only ever one other time that has happened, and he hated it.

He got up though, and he got ready slowly, which was as quickly as he could, picking out and putting on a mix of whatever he thought appropriate enough and brushing his teeth for the third time. When he finally left his room Emeri and Leno were waiting for him. They grinned at him knowingly, and they seemed to be feeling it a little as well, but they all headed out without much to say between them. Perhaps everything had been said last night. Goku wished he knew.

By the time they arrived at Capsule Corp., which didn’t take long since they flew, (although Goku for once was grateful they would be driving back,) they immediately spotted the Prince, Dr. Briefs, and Mrs. Briefs, but Bulma was nowhere to be found. A limo was already parked and running, waiting for them.

The Prince nodded in their direction as they landed but he didn’t acknowledge them otherwise and the following conversation he had with the Briefs was short and to the point. He bid them farewell and thanked them for their hospitality, and then they left.

Once inside the car, Leno said to Vegeta, “I’m sure you know this, but today there’s nothing on your itinerary. Did you have anything in mind to do, your Highness? Perhaps you’d like to go to a spa?” Vegeta’s eyes shifted to Leno in a way that said, ‘You must be joking,’ so Leno added, “Or perhaps you already have something planned? A workout, maybe?”

Vegeta mockingly chuffed and looked out one of the windows, saying, “I have plans, actually. And as much as I’d delight at having a good spar, there’s no one here to spar with, Leno, or did you forget where we are?”

Goku blipped his eyes to the Prince for just a second before going back to ignoring everyone in the car.

“I’ve arranged to step up one of my meetings,” Vegeta said at Leno’s silence, “I’ll be going back to the Duchess’ house for dinner tonight. Kakarot, you’ll come with me, but since that time slot has changed, you and Emeri can stay back. Get our clothes dry cleaned and start packing.”

Leno shot a look at Goku, who disregarded him, before replying, “Very good. Is… there a reason for the change, my Liege?”

Vegeta smirked at him and said, “The family’s request,” and it seemed for some time that he wasn’t going to say anything else, then finally he added, “How many more days are we to stay here, again?”

“We leave on the sixth day from today. We must be in the limo at 5 am sharp, on the helicopter by 7, then by 8:30 we will be launching back to Planet Vegeta,” Leno answered.

Prince Vegeta seemed to bite back a sigh as he shifted in his seat, and he added, “I wish to add one more meeting onto my list, in place of dinner with the Duchess… and add another dinner with the Briefs family.”

Leno pulled out his phone and asked, “Alright, and the person in request?”

“Dr. Gero. I’d like to have dinner with him. Do tell him the urgency of the time and date in your correspondence.”

“Very well, and did you have a time and day in mind for dinner with the Briefs?”

“No.”

The advisor nodded, “Once we get back to the hotel and I can figure our timing out, I’ll make some phone calls.”

Vegeta didn’t even nod in response, he knew it would be done.

Goku couldn’t help but wonder at the Prince’s change in plans, but he forced himself not to groan as he realized that it didn’t matter what he thought, and he was in too much self-induced pain for any of it to matter very much to him at the moment, anyways.

The Prince took him with him to dinner as promised, but it was uneventful. However, Goku could see now, where he wasn’t paying attention before, that Vegeta truly is here to try and find a bride and he tried his best not to give a damn and not to be completely pissed, not only at Vegeta, but at himself.

Dinner was good, and the company was fine, but Vegeta was driving him crazy. Not on purpose, though, he was completely unaware of Goku’s poor disposition. Still, it couldn’t be helped, and the only thing that was any consolation for his time and his feelings was the food filling his stomach and the drinks that seemed to finally subdue his hangover. Vegeta, however, seemed not to notice anything was wrong with the bodyguard at all, and as far as the dinner with the woman, he played his part well, but Goku assessed him to be uninterested as the night waned.

He almost wished he would just end his misery and propose to someone already. He didn’t particularly care who, he just wanted to hear a confirmation of it so he could stop thinking that maybe it _wasn’t_ true.

While on the way back to the hotel the two of them were silent and Goku refused to even look at him and instead stared out the window at the buildings and lights and people passing him by, and he wondered about their lives and figured they were less complicated than his, and for the first time, he thought about what it would be like to live on Earth as one of them, instead of placing himself apart from them.

He sighed a little to himself as he considered how much their lives are going to change, and how unaware of it they all are, for now, anyways. Will they be happy to know that the Saiyans are going to take over the planet? With force, or without it, does it really matter? Surely, there will be much talk on Earth after this… and much talk on Planet Vegeta. No one thought the Prince would be getting married anytime soon, and they would never expect him to marry outside of his own kind.

Unbeknownst to Goku, the Prince did notice his withdrawn attitude, but he thought nothing of it. Leno and Emeri mentioned earlier on that they got a bit carried away the night before and that Goku was suffering from a hangover, even if it wouldn’t admit it.

When they arrived back at the hotel Emeri helped the Prince unwind by offering him a drink and some comfortable clothes while Leno went over the details of the changes made to his schedule. The Prince listened as Leno explained that he was able to get ahold of Dr. Gero and that the scientist agreed to meet him, but that he was going to have a very hectic day because of the change the day after tomorrow. Vegeta agreed to that and asked him about dinner with the Briefs, to which Goku couldn’t help but notice Emeri turn away with a smile, but Leno said he hadn’t gotten that far. He has yet to receive confirmation from them about the time and date he requested. Vegeta, who turned his back to them then, dismissed them all at that information.

The other two left hurriedly, so Goku was the last to leave the room. As he was closing the door behind him, he saw the Prince sit at the dining room table and put his head in his hands. For a moment Goku wanted to stay. He wanted to go back inside and say something, or ask something, but then again, he didn’t. It’d be best if he didn’t.

The next day they all revisited two of the places they had first been to, and it seemed to Goku that Vegeta was only doing so to be polite. He figured that they would never see these people again after this (at least he wouldn’t), and that there was little to no point in saving face, that is, unless Vegeta simply wants to keep the rich and powerful on his side for when he _does_ marry a woman of their kind and become King of the Earth.

That evening, once back at the hotel, the Prince was constantly on his phone and in and out of his room and at one point in time the three helpers even heard the Prince arguing with somebody from inside, though they couldn’t catch the details of the conversation, and they knew better than to linger, lest the Prince suspect them of eavesdropping. They all went their separate ways before the Prince came out again, and by that time, Vegeta was in no mood to see anyone anyways.

The day after was busier as Leno had promised, but not so long, and in fact, it was a little more interesting. It seemed that some of the families the Prince was revisiting were privy to his attentions on the Briefs, or they were simply jealous that he hasn’t asked any of them for their hand yet, and one of the fathers even decided to mention something about it to his face over brunch. He insisted the Prince deny Bulma Briefs and ask for his daughter hand, and he did so with a bribe. Vegeta was so annoyed by his presumptions and his accusations that he promised that even if he had been more interested in his daughter than Bulma, he was now forced to resign any such inclination at his expectant and pompous attitude and he left quickly.

None of his travelers knew what to say to him as they headed to their next location, but Goku had to hide his grin of amusement more than once. He couldn’t help but think it was funny. Maybe if the man had created a machine capable of making the Prince stronger…

Then afterwards, what should have been a chichi lunch turned into the most ludicrous situation Goku had ever encountered. Apparently, something was said in confidence that someone else didn’t like and it turned into, well, a bit of a show.

One of the women “accidentally tipped” a drink on another one, the newly soaked woman turned to her family and declared that she no longer wished to have company. The family argued with her to calm down and go get changed, when suddenly the woman who flung the drunk on her finally came out with what had been said to begin with, which in turn started a loud and intolerable bickering match.

She had implied that the young lady was wasting her time trying to win the Prince’s attentions. At the hushes and persistence of their families, both women left to their own rooms quickly, but not before the woman who was still wet cried that the Prince is no longer welcome in her house. Then she stomped off, much to the dismay of her mother, father, and other attending relatives. Goku waited with bated breath for the Prince’s outrage to surface, but instead he stood, despite the rest of the family’s attempt at stopping him, told them that he accepts her refusal to host him and that he wouldn’t be back, and left with his head held high.

Once inside the limo Vegeta burst into laughter, at which point, so did Leno, Goku, and Emeri and most of the tension dissipated.

“For fucks sake, should I cancel the rest of my appointments and leave early?” The Prince snickered.

Leno smiled, “I don’t doubt your desire to, after _that_.”

Vegeta smirked and huffed but didn’t respond, although Goku thought he looked pleased at having had part of his day cut short.

“Your Highness, are we headed back to the hotel?” Leno asked.

“Yes,” he nodded, “We might as well head back now since our day got cut short. Tonight may not have been a part of the original plan, but I’m still going to dinner with Dr. Gero.”

Goku thought, _‘Original plan!’_ exasperated.

“Kakarot, you will come with me, again, but the two of you will stay behind. I don’t think it’s necessary to bring everyone for this meeting. Did you ever find anything out about having dinner with the Briefs?”

“Yes!” he replied, “But only Bulma will be available.”

Vegeta wondered, with the quirk of one of his brows, “Why is that?”

“The timing, your Highness, it’s too short of notice. Dr. Briefs had business he could not put off during our time crunch here.”

“Hn,” Vegeta grunted and although he looked a little annoyed, all he said was, “Fine.”

Leno discussed, “Your dinner with Ms. Briefs is scheduled for the night before we leave at 6 o’clock. I hope you don’t mind, but you did say you wanted to squeeze everything in.”

Vegeta didn’t reply to affirm or deny.

Leno figured he’d ask, while he has the Prince in a good mood, “Will you be going alone to dinner with Mr. Briefs, so I can make the proper reservations?”

Vegeta replied after a moments silence, “Yes.”

Goku pretended not to be listening to their conversation although there was literally nothing else for him to do while stuck in the car with them. He also pretended not to notice Emeri’s gaze on him, or Leno’s occasional glance. He even pretended to not be paying attention to his Prince who was not paying attention to him. Instead he stared hard out the window and pretended not to have any thoughts about the conversation he pretended he never heard.

Dinner with Dr. Gero was nothing like it had been with anyone else. The restaurant that the doctor chose was every bit as fancy as all the others, but more secluded. The Prince and his bodyguard were brought to a sectioned off area of the restaurant and sat in a blocked off room for privacy. They were then served silently by waiters who asked the Prince to choose which wine he would be having for the evening, but that was all for now.

Goku looked around the dark room as he took his seat next to his Prince and wondered why the doctor chose this place. He felt a little stuffy in this room, and he kept tugging at the collar of his shirt in his discomfort.

“Relax, Kakarot,” Vegeta said, the comment coming from seemingly out of nowhere.

Goku looked at him in surprise. He’s been avoiding conversation with him for days now, and he never would have guessed that those would have been the first words the Prince would have spoken to him after such a silence between them.

“You seem anxious?” Vegeta asked, his eyes keen on him in the dark room.

“I’m not, I just… hate these suits…”

Vegeta smirked at him but didn’t reply as a waiter came back by and filled their glasses with wine.

When the waiter left, Vegeta took a sip of his drink, motioning for Kakarot to do the same, and then said, “Me too. But you know, you’re never supposed to let anyone else know that. Then they’ve found your weakness.” His scolding was delivered with a carefree tone, but the way his eyes flickered to him as he drank more of the wine told Goku otherwise.

Goku knew he wasn’t just talking about suits. He knew he meant to never show weakness, period. To never show vulnerability. To never show discontentedness. He thought deeply about what he said, and what he meant, and what it mean that he had said it, and then he nodded at his Prince and sat back in his chair just as the Doctor arrived.

The small group of two Saiyans and a doctor was an odd one, to be sure. Goku was tall, young, and boyishly handsome with charms and charisma, and the Prince was fortunate with good looks as well, but he was older and shorter, and he held a constant stern look on his face and a seriousness in his demeanor. The doctor, however, was much older than both of them, and the more Goku took in his appearance the more he wondered about him. Dr. Gero was a thin, gruff man, with a long beard and sharp, angry eyes, and a strange symbol on his clothing, and for once, the Prince’s company wasn’t star-struck. He seemed to look down the bridge of his nose at Vegeta and Goku both, but Goku assumed it was just the dim lighting giving off that illusion.

The waiters came back by and asked for their choice of a dish, which included appetizers, bread, salads, soups, the main course, desert, everything, but after that they were sparse and quiet, keeping the food and drink coming sequentially after that, but with little conversation.

Dr. Gero spoke smugly to the waiters, and then to the Prince as they said their “hello”’s as though he knew something that no one else in the world knew. He glanced at Goku but didn’t pay him much attention overall. After a brief introduction and a few sips of the bottle of wine the conversation became heated.

“I was rather surprised to get a phone call from your men requesting a visit,” Dr. Gero said, “I don’t have any children so naturally I’m sure you can assume that my curiosity is what convinced me to be here tonight. You are aware that I am a busy man.”

“The daughters of men are not the only reason that I am here, Dr. Gero,” Vegeta replied in kind, both sarcasm and pride lacing his words, “But I suppose I can say that I am pleased to know that you didn’t think meeting me would be a waste of time.”

Dr. Gero smirked, “I didn’t mean it like that, but I am a scientist, not a businessman, so forgive me if I came off a little rude.”

“And I am more than a Prince,” Vegeta flexed in his suit as he put his elbow on the table. Goku, who was already a little on edge, homed in closer and prepared to step in if necessary, as Vegeta asked, “And I wouldn’t presume to know what you think of me, or my business here, not that you would know much about either.”

“My, my, you’re not one for flattery, are you?”

“No, I am not.”

“Very well, neither am I,” the doctor smirked again, “So, is food going to be the topic of discussion here, or do you have something else on your mind?”

Vegeta chuckled, “I would like to think you know better than that.”

“Hmm, I thought so.”

“Well, Doctor, tell me, what is it that you specialize in?”

The doctor scoffed, “Not this. Such a general question. Let _me_ ask _you_ why is it that you are interested in _me_ , Prince Vegeta? Were the Briefs unable to hold up to all your expectations?”

Vegeta ignored that question and remarked with a smirk, “It is the because of the Briefs that I even heard of you, Doctor. But if you want to get more specific, they mentioned that you are working on something, and I am curious to know more about it.”

“Ah,” Dr. Gero’s eyes shined, “And what, precisely, did they say I was working on?”

“Robots. Cyborgs. _Humanoids_. Carbon-copycats… What do you call them?” Vegeta interrogated.

“Androids,” the doctor chuckled.

“Yes, that’s it. What’s so funny?” Vegeta asked, sipping his wine casually.

Dr. Gero answered, “I wonder how they found out about my little secret, hmm?”

“That I do not know,” Vegeta shrugged, “But, now I can’t help but wonder why you have been keeping such a creation a secret?”

Dr. Gero eyed him closely and wasn’t so quick to answer that question, but finally he replied, “What’s your interest in androids, Prince?”

Vegeta replied, sitting back in his seat in a casual posture, depicting honest interest, “Am I not allowed to be curious about the possibility of Artificial Intelligence existing? Can it even be called that? Or is it something of a more… base model… with no more wit than a bird? …What type of programming do you have set up for them? _Is_ there more than one? I’m assuming there are… Can they access any computer system? Is that even how it works? Who turns them off once they’re turned on? I have about a hundred more, take your pick.”

The doctor chuckled again, and said, “I can see that you do have many questions, hmm?” The conversation paused as Dr. Gero stared into Vegeta’s inhuman eyes, then he, much like Vegeta, sat back with his glass of wine and answered smoothly, “Well, I’m afraid to say that I haven’t yet been able to perfect my machines. Ah, I call them machines because they are made of alloys, mostly, and they are, in fact, artificial, but as for the intelligence part, well, that’s a little tricky. Perhaps I can keep you informed on the progress? But for now, there’s not much to show and tell, unfortunately.”

The conversation ensued. The doctor seemed keen on not giving any straight answers, but Vegeta, equally as stubborn, was dying to know more. It was a battle of wits and persuasion, and Goku got the feeling by the end of the night that neither man had won.

The topics did change throughout the course of their dinner, but Goku was unable to keep up with them and after a while he stopped trying. By the time the meal was over Goku was mentally exhausted. Half of the things that were said had gone in one ear and out the other. He didn’t have a mind for any of the subjects being discussed, and he wasn’t sure how Vegeta seemed to be able to keep up with his interrogation, or if it was even worth anything. The Prince and the doctor hardly touched their plates they were so caught up in conversation but Goku had nothing else to do but eat, with as much finesse as he could muster, and stay silent, which he did, lost in his own thoughts.

The bodyguard was more than ready to go by the time the doctor said that he must get back to his home. Dr. Gero’s goodbye was quick, and his thankfulness appeared cheap, and with that he got up to leave. Vegeta got his card out to pay, but he sat for a little while longer to finish the wine, it was their third bottle, and he pressured Goku to help him with the last of it.

When they left, just the two of them, they stepped outside of the restaurant beside one another, and Goku looked around for their car, but it wasn’t there. He has avoided talking to Vegeta on more than a need to/have to basis for a few days now, and he was nervous at striking up a conversation with him to ask what was going on with their ride, although when he turned to look at the Prince, Vegeta did not seem surprised by the lack of a vehicle.

“Kakarot,” Vegeta finally said, lifting his chin to look at the younger man dead on, and Goku could tell he was a little buzzed, “I’m sure you’re wondering why there’s no limo for us. Come, walk with me.” The Prince pulled out his phone and began typing something in.

“Your Highness…” Goku started, but he decided not to initiate anything he wasn’t sure he could finish and so he simply walked in tow with him, wondering why the hell the Prince thought it was a good idea to go strolling around the city, whatever city this is, at night, like this, with naught but his slightly buzzed bodyguard. The Prince continued to look at his phone. Eventually, Goku took in a deep breath and sighed, and decided to just fucking go with it. It’s a beautiful night and although his heart was bent towards Vegeta and how complicated things were, that didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy the moment.

After walking for some time and taking random turns this way and that as they explored the streets, Vegeta finally said, “I need to know that you won’t repeat anything that you heard back there. About androids. Dr. Gero seems every bit the narcissistic asshole one would imagine him to be, and although I don’t believe him when he says he has nothing to show for his work… I still need you to be quiet about having heard anything about it.”

“Okay,” Goku replied, and then corrected, “I mean, yes, your Highness,” and laughed at himself, explaining, “I zoned out half the time anyways.”

Vegeta smirked up at him and said, “I figured as much,” and they turned once more before heading inside a store.

Goku couldn’t help but lick his lips and think as he followed him inside, _‘Is that why you brought_ only me _to dinner? Because you knew I wasn’t going to pay attention? And you still need to keep up appearances by having me there?’_ but he didn’t dare ask him that, and he hated how self-conscious he’s become. He took a look around and realized that they were in a liquor store and he wondered at why Vegeta would want to come here, but before he had a chance to really look at anything Vegeta had grabbed a bottle of wine and wine opener, paid, and was on his way out the door.

“Your Highness,” Goku began again, but he hesitated.

Vegeta looked over at him as though he expected him to continue, but he never did. So Vegeta led him down an empty alley way and as he stops, he turns to him and says, “Well, you said you had another spot in mind to take me. And I’m sure you want to take your mind off things.”

_‘No, I don’t…’_

_‘_ Yes, I do. _’_

“So, lead the way, Kakarot.”

Goku couldn’t help but smile at him, in spite of himself, in spite of Vegeta, in spite of everything. He looked him deeply in the eyes and nodded in agreement and then he took off into the sky and wondered if where he was thinking of going from the other night was good idea right now. He took him anyways, to see the lights of Norway.

Vegeta only asked him once where they were going and mentioned that it was getting cold, as though Goku couldn’t feel it.

Goku smiled at him and said, ignoring his complaints, “We’re almost there.” He knew it would be worth it, to see them with Vegeta, even if only for a few minutes.

They found them, and it was every bit as breathtaking as the first time Goku had seen them. There they opened the bottle of wine, and each of them took a few sips out of it. Goku turned to Vegeta to gauge his reaction, and he saw the lights dancing in the reflection of his eyes as the Prince stared ahead and although Vegeta seemed impressed by the vision before them, he didn’t say a word.

Goku noticed he was shivering, and he smiled at him and said, “It’s very cold here, I know. I just wanted to show you. We can go.”

Vegeta nodded, but he still didn’t respond, and so they left.

Goku then took him to a beach in a much warmer climate, and closer to their hotel, and they spent some time walking by the waters and listening to the ocean waves. Vegeta was quiet, still, but he seemed to inch closer and closer to Goku the more the night wore on and it was clear to the bodyguard that he has much on his mind.

Goku, in an attempt to get Vegeta out of his head, as well as trying to stay out of his own, remarked on how similar the Earth’s oceans are to Planet Vegeta’s, but how they shine so differently under the sun. Planet Vegeta’s oceans are yellow and golden, he told him, Earth’s are green and blue. They continued to share the wine, and Goku continued to speak, but Vegeta just listened, sometimes looking at him, sometimes not.

Playfully, Goku kicked some sand in Vegeta’s direction to which the Prince smirked, but he only gave him a small shove on the shoulder in return. Goku smiled at him broadly, smitten, and then he quickly decided to play another game, hell bent on not allowing himself to succumb to Vegeta’s silent seduction. He showed him the little white crabs that burrow in the sand, and he caught one, to which Vegeta laughed and stepped away, feigning disinterest. After a moment Goku released the creature back into the sand and then he tried to convince Vegeta to catch one of the white crabs, if he could spot one walking by.

At first the Prince refused, taking another gulp of the wine, and laughing. He said he’d never heard of such a game. Goku took the wine from him and took a drink of his own before arguing that if he didn’t at least try it meant he must be scared. Vegeta scoffed in good humor but fell for the bait. He searched in the sand as they walked and after a little while he found one and he caught it easily enough. He brought it up closer to inspect it, but the look on Vegeta’s face was disturbing as he held it by its shell, and it hurt Goku’s heart to see such a look. It was somber, like the Prince was considering his past. His lost childhood. Vegeta bent down and let the crab go and held his hand out for the wine with a distant gaze as he surveyed the ocean once again.

He handed the wine back to Goku after taking a big swig and said, “Let’s go somewhere else.”

Goku nodded and they both gently lifted off the ground and took to the sky. It didn’t take them long after that to finish off the wine as they flew in route to their next destination, and Vegeta made a fireworks display out of incinerating the bottle to which Goku laughed, a little impressed, but inside he was nervous.

He should head back to the hotel and just end this now. Sure, he could take him somewhere else, he knew tons of places, and even though his favorite places are easiest to find, in the woods or the valleys by the lakes, it’s late, and damn it, he doesn’t want to fall for this again.

He said boldly as they flew further on, “I think we should head back to the hotel.”

Vegeta gave him an odd look and argued, “I’d rather not.”

“Your Highness, I…” Goku’s heart clenched as he tried to think of a way to save himself from any pain, and save Vegeta from any distress, “I think we should get some rest.” Although on second thought, he didn’t know why he cared to spare him.

Vegeta was completely put off and he grabbed onto Goku’s shirt and stopped their route of flying immediately. Goku looked at him in surprise as the Prince argued heatedly, “I’ve stayed up for days on end for many a less important reason than this,” and he kissed him.

Why did his kiss have to be so good? And why do his arguments have such sway on him?

“Vegeta,” Goku moaned into the kiss as a way of protest, but he knew that’s not how it sounded. His hands came up to grip his biceps as a way of fighting him off, but instead they brought him even closer.

“Kakarot,” Vegeta hummed, but he didn’t have anything to follow it up with verbally. Instead he pressed their hips together and grabbed onto the back of Goku’s head, fisting his hair in his hands as he crushed their mouths together.

“What are we doing?” Goku asked him breathlessly.

“Whatever you want,” Vegeta replied.

That’s not what he wanted to hear, and that’s not what he meant, but his body wasn’t listening to him. By now Vegeta’s jacket was off and falling to the ground, and Goku’s was floating after it.

“Vegeta, what about… when we get back?” Goku gripped him tighter, thinking about fighting him off, but at the same time unwilling to let him get away.

“Hmm?” Vegeta replied thoughtlessly.

“…Our clothes?” Goku argued as Vegeta’s lips trailed along his jaw and down his neck, trying to be the voice of reason- trying to find reason.

“Mmm,” Vegeta replied and finally he pulled away, “Fine. Let’s go.”

They made their way to the hotel as fast as they could. They tried to get in through the balcony but apparently Leno had locked it. Goku frowned in thought that Leno locked it on purpose, but he told Vegeta to go to his personal balcony and that he’d meet him there. It didn’t take long for Goku to come back up through the hotel’s actual entrance and unlock the Prince’s room and then quickly let him in.

Vegeta was on him again like he’d never stopped but Goku had a moment while on his way to him to think about what they were doing and what they were about to do and so, for his own pride’s sake as well as many other reasons, he argued with him, again.

“Listen, I,” he groaned as Vegeta pushed him into his bed, “Leno and Emeri… they suspect something…”

Vegeta stopped for a moment and looked at Goku but he merely replied, “So what?”

Goku didn’t know what to make of that response as Vegeta kissed him again, this time moving his mouth to his throat, where he sucked hard for a moment, before moving down to his shoulders and he began undoing his own pants.

“Well, I…” Goku began, but Vegeta grabbed onto his length through his slacks, causing his words to get caught in his throat. The Prince rubbed at the evidence that no matter how hard Goku was trying to deny them this moment, he clearly wants to keep it going.

Vegeta leaned back and smirked at Goku’s blushing reaction and said, “You care too much about silly things,” as he sat up to his knees to pull his own pants down, then he fell to the side to finish working them off.

Goku pouted and replied, sitting up onto his elbows, “And you don’t care enough,” but he couldn’t help but be mesmerized by him.

Vegeta’s smirk stumped him into silence. He rolled forward and went for Goku’s pants. He shook his head in disagreement to Goku’s claims, but he was unwilling to try and argue with him like he normally would as he clearly didn’t see a point to it.

“Vegeta… I…” Goku whispered as the older, stubborn man undid his button and zipper and pulled down on both his pants and his underwear, releasing his cock to the cool night air, and then Vegeta looked up at him suggestively.

Still, Goku added, his heart thumping and clenching in his chest, “There’s something else…” _‘Say it, Goku! Just say it! Tell him that you know! Tell him!’_

Vegeta pressed Goku’s shirt up his abs as he captured his firm member in his hand and Goku ceased talking as Vegeta licked the tip of his leaking dick.

Goku’s breath hitched and the Prince grinned up at him and asked, “Is this all it takes to render you speechless?” and he took Goku’s dick into his mouth with pornographic intention.

 _‘Fuck yes,’_ Goku moaned and he ultimately conceded. There was no way he was going to stop him. He didn’t want him to stop. He didn’t want this to stop.

Goku awoke the next morning in his own bed with a slight hangover but pleasant memories from the night before. He would have sighed to himself and snuggled further into the sheets, pressing his face deep into the pillow as he replayed the moments if time would have allowed, but Leno was knocking on his door, demanding he get up and get dressed in one of his suits.

Something about all the liquor he’s been drinking and waking up in a hotel room while on another planet away from home makes Goku feel like he’s on vacation, and something about getting the best lay of his life doesn’t help that notion, either.

No, he’s not on vacation, but he really needs one, now more than ever.

He does his morning routine quickly and when he comes into the room, Leno tells him to eat quickly now or wait until their luncheon because they must go, and this time Vegeta himself comes out of his bedroom and yells at him about sleeping in, and he blames it on over drinking, and tells him to learn how to watch his intake of liquor.

Vegeta scolds as he’s putting on a jacket, “If you think you’re going to be a hiccup on our plans then stop while you’re ahead! No one is forcing you!” and he adds, looking away with his head held high, “I have never had to deal with someone so irresponsible!”

Goku couldn’t help but bite back a laugh, blush, and apologize to him, not that Vegeta paid him any attention after that. They both knew it wasn’t the liquor that kept him up all night and made him sleep in late. Honestly, he’d like to know how Vegeta does it- keeps at it while he burns the wick at both ends- or so the saying goes, but he figured it didn’t matter. Vegeta probably would have found a reason to yell at him whether he’d been on time, or even early.

 _‘Only two more days here,’_ Goku kept thinking to himself, _‘We leave on the third and I can’t wait to get home,’_ but there is so much more on his mind than he wants to admit, and he is tired, and confused, and he is also still pissed.

All throughout the day they paid their last and final visits to everyone else whom they’d come to see and finally Leno and Emeri seemed just as fed up as Goku. They smiled and went along like it was nothing, but Goku had come to know them after their time here, and it at least pleased him to know that he wasn’t the only one ready to get this trip over with.

Goku watched everyone closely, as he had done when they’d first arrived, but Vegeta most of all, although he tried hard not to, it couldn’t be helped. The more and more he’s gotten to know Vegeta, at least, what he shows of himself anyways, the more and more he’s come to esteem him, even if he can’t understand him, and even if he is outrageously pissed off at him at the moment.

Vegeta is immovable and impassible, and there is little that anyone can say or do to dissuade him or make him uneasy. Goku’s discovered, much to his own personal dismay, that he truly admires him, whether or not he agrees with him is another thing entirely, but the Prince certainly has his respect, and Goku couldn’t deny that.

It only serves to make things worse, of course, his undying, newly found love for the Prince. Goku can’t remember ever having such a feeling before. He’s tried to dispel it, he’s tried to rename it, he’s tried to ignore, hell, he’s tried to claim it, to admit and accept it, and just pass it off like the stupid, complicated, insignificant, useless, and pointless emotion that it is, but none of that is working. It’s not helping him move on or let it go, not like he’s been able to in the past and he’s beginning to get a little worried.

He’s been spending the past few days in anger, but with understanding and consideration all the same. He can’t afford to be in love with the Prince. It just… isn’t going to work. The Prince has responsibilities, and he, Goku, has responsibilities to the Prince to protect him, but that’s it. That’s as far as it goes. It’s nothing else. It’s nothing more.

He was so caught up in his own head trying to find his peace that the day flew by, and soon he was back in his own bed, welcoming sleep, and preparing for his last day on Earth. Less than 50 hours and they’ll all be on their way home. He couldn’t wait.

The second to last morning came and Goku was able to sleep in for once. Of course, he didn’t realize he slept in until he woke up later in the day, but he was pleased to find that he wasn’t in trouble for it. Leno and Emeri were piecing things together around their hotel rooms and the Prince’s, placing out their final outfits for tomorrow, as well as Goku’s and Vegeta’s, packing, writing letters, and over all seeming to enjoy themselves when Goku finally joined them.

“His Majesty has gone out to do some things around the hotel,” Leno said with a smile.

Goku was going to ask why he left by himself but Emeri started, explaining, “The manager of the hotel offered him some sort of,” she looked at Leno for confirmation, “first class experience at their saunas?” He nodded, “So, he took it! I was surprised, too, but! Whatever gets him out of this room, and for his own purposes, is a good thing, in my opinion!”

Leno agree and said, “Hey, Goku, why don’t you order whatever you want from the kitchen. Emeri and I ate breakfast a few hours ago, but I’m getting hungry again, how about you, Em?”

“Oh yes!” she nodded, “Get whatever you want, Goku, you haven’t picked from the hotel’s choices at all since we got here!”

Goku smiled at them and decided he didn’t mind this change of pace and he did as they requested. The food arrived in no time and the three of them spent a pleasant afternoon alone, cleaning up, hanging out, and settling their affairs as they talked about Planet Vegeta, how much they missed it, and what they were going to do when they get back and have some down time.

By the time Vegeta got back from whatever he’d been doing it was thirty minutes after 3 o’clock, and when he came inside, he glanced at all three of them, but headed straight to him room and shut the door.

Emeri shrugged at Leno and Goku, but Leno whispered, “He has dinner with Ms. Briefs at six! I’m sure he’s got a lot on his mind. Let’s stay available but quiet.”

Goku nodded along with Emeri but he wasn’t feeling so supportive.

Twenty minutes later the Prince was dressed in something formal and stylish and heading out. Goku avoided looking in his direction altogether as he left the room, and his fists clenched in his lap, but Leno and Emeri were gushing over him, telling him to have a good time and keep in contact if he needed anything.

Leno and Emeri spent a good amount of time in conversation once he left, wondering at how the dinner is going to go, and what could possibly be said between the two of them, and how much they wished they knew what was going on, but they ultimately shrugged it off and let it go, deciding to throw one last little party in the hotel before they all have to leave. They invited Goku to join them, and Goku knew that if he didn’t, it would look bad, so he agreed, but he told himself was _not_ going to get _nearly_ as messed up as he did last time.

A few hours and more than a couple beers later and Goku concluded that he is feeling restless, unsettled, and daring, and he simply couldn’t take it anymore. Leno and Emeri, nice and buzzed by this point, declare that they should get some sleep before having to get up so early tomorrow. Goku agreed that was probably for the best and they all three went to their own rooms.

Goku changed into some of his clothes, a hoodie and some baggie pants, and then he finished the last of his packing, except for the little things, like his charger, and toothbrush, and once satisfied that he’s completely done and ready to go, he steps onto his balcony to smoke.

He thinks about what Vegeta is doing and he can’t stop thinking about it. He puts on his scouter and finds his ki signature, it’s right next to a much weaker one who he assumes is Bulma, but they are no longer at dinner. There are far too few people nearby for them to still be at the restaurant. Goku determines they must be back at Capsule Corp. He takes off the scouter and frowns to himself. He shouldn’t be concerned about this. He should go to bed.

But he can’t help himself. He keeps mulling over what they could be doing. What could they be saying?! He goes to lay in his bed and tries to go to sleep but he can’t. Then a thought strikes him, and he can’t ignore it.

He gets up and finds some shoes and puts them on, grabs his room key, puts the scouter back on and takes off, leaving from his balcony in pursuit of his Prince.

The whole way there he doesn’t know what he is thinking. He doesn’t know what to expect. He doesn’t know anything other than he just has to know.

Is it true?

Is this real?

Is this happening?

He knows he’s behaving unacceptably, but he can’t stop. He knows what he’s going to find, but he still needs see it for himself.

The flight went by in a blur and Goku find himself approaching Capsule Corp. quickly so he slows down as his heart speeds up. He knows exactly which side of the house they are on, and as he flies around, he spots them standing on a balcony. He wasn’t expecting them to be outside and in his panic he drops to the ground and runs to the side of the building and tries to calm himself down as he inches closer, desperate to hear what they are saying, and hoping that Vegeta didn’t spot him, but Vegeta was staring into Bulma’s eyes, and Bulma was staring into his, and they were hardly dressed.

Vegeta didn’t notice him. He’s not thinking about him.

It’s so wrong, and Goku thought about going back to the hotel and pretending this never happened. He’s seen enough. But this is so necessary, and he can’t turn back now, and he tries to still his breathing as he gets closer, working his way around the building. He can hear their muffled voices, but he’s still too far away, and they’re speaking too low, so he comes closer, and before long he is standing directly beneath the balcony and he can finally hear them clearly enough.

He hears Vegeta tell her, “… all for tonight. Now, you’ve made it clear to me there’s nothing you desire that you can’t already get, but I might be able to surprise you.”

She giggles, “You have surprised me, plenty, but you can go ahead and try to impress me even more, All-Mighty Prince.”

“Tell me what you want, and it will be given to you.”

“I want you! Now more than ever, especially after tonight! But I can’t have you like I thought I might… I didn’t think this through.”

Goku could have growled in his jealousy but he kept quiet and listened closer, trying to gauge, without being able to see, how serious Vegeta is about her.

“I will visit as often as I can,” Vegeta says.

“I hope so. But…” her voice is quiet and soft.

“Tell me,” he demands.

“You know what’s bothering me, already…” she whines.

“I can promise your protection, Bulma, unlike anything you already have here.”

“Can you…? You won’t even be here?”

“My men will be, and they will look after you and your family. And if you feel more secure having women as your guards, that can be arranged.”

“That’s not a bad idea… but there’s so much more to this than _that_ and you know it! You’re just trying to make me feel better by painting a picture of fine clothes and servants and- I don’t want any of those things! I don’t _need_ any of those things!”

“Hn, your expressions are strange, here. Painting a picture…? With my words, I’m assuming. As I said. You tell me what you desire, and it shall be done. Everything else will come together.”

“La! What about the responsibilities?! And I’m to do this all alone?!”

“You will never be alone. And I’m sure you can manage. You run this business, do you not?”

“Of course!”

“My brother will be here on occasion, as well, and that should make you happy to know.”

“Oh, _that_ makes me feel better,” she answered in sarcasm, “Is he going to help me rule? Is he as fearsome as you?”

Vegeta chuckled, “It will put you at great ease, I’m sure of it. He will help you. And once you’ve met my father, I think you’ll come to understand just how much power we Saiyans do possess.”

“You sure are cocky, aren’t you?”

“Shouldn’t I be?”

Goku knew that voice, that sensual allure, he knew it intimately, and he knew a kiss when he heard one, and he put his hand over his mouth as he listened and struggled internally.

Bulma sighed, “You’ve thought of everything, then, haven’t you? What about us humans going to planet Vegeta? Or is that not even in the cards? Am I supposed to be a Queen of a planet I’ll never even see? There’s something you’re not telling me…” she mocked.

Goku grew jealous as he listened to her speak to him. How is it that she can just say everything on her mind to him? Meanwhile Goku can’t even set his thoughts straight around him!

Vegeta argued, “I’m aware of how frustrating that might be for you, perhaps as annoying as me trying to figure out your expressions! But I’m sure you can invent something to help with that dilemma, and if not, or if you’re too busy to be bothered by it, I believe I know a few scientists that I can enlist to do some research on it of their own. Now-”

“But-”

“If there’s something I haven’t thought of yet, someone else has, or will, we do pay people for that, and we’ll just have to figure out the rest as we go.”

He laughed, “So, I’m supposed to just…”

“You’re supposed to do what you do,” he said sternly, but his voice lessened in seriousness as he continued, “Your title will change, and some responsibility will be added, but you will have guidance. My father and I will send tutors and aides and anything else you may need.”

“That’s comforting,” she said cleverly, “you don’t mind if I work!”

Vegeta didn’t respond to that, but Goku assumed it’s because he didn’t understand the reference and he grew annoyed that the Prince _is_ serious about marrying her when he knows _nothing_ about the Earth or its people! Nothing about _her_!

He shook his head and began to wonder why he’s still here listening to this very private conversation that is doing him no good at all to hear. It’s just making matters worse, but he couldn’t _not_ listen…

Bulma added, at Vegeta’s silence and in a much more serious tone, “And… you promise not to…”

“I already told you, the Earth and no one in it, is going to be harmed. This union is not put in place to rearrange your planet and place restrictions upon its people. Everything will remain mostly the same.”

“Vegeta, I…” She said proudly, “I don’t know what to say to all of this right now.”

“Then say nothing. The next time I see you… it will be something neither you, nor your people, will ever forget. And I will make it official.”

She giggled, “What a promise!”

“I am a man of my word.”

“I believe you…”

He whispered, “…I’m not asking you because I have to, Bulma.”

Goku tried his best to keep calm at hearing his fears confirmed for the nine thousandth time over the course of the last few days and he began looking for his escape, unable to bear it anymore, but he feared being caught, and he hoped they were too engrossed in conversation to spot him on his way out. He knew he had to leave as soon as possible but tearing himself away is a more difficult task.

“I… Vegeta, I…”

“Yes?” he asked, and Goku paused at his voice, too captivated to leave.

“You know, I wasn’t expecting this from you… but you’re so…”

“Bulma,” Vegeta interrupted, “You are by far the most intelligent, beautiful, and fiery woman I have ever met- much less expected to meet.”

She replied in a dreamy voice, “When we heard your father’s mention of this possibility to us, I laughed! I do love a good romance, but I must confess, I wasn’t expecting one! And I wondered so many things. I still do. And I won’t pretend to know anything about what love is like on Planet Vegeta, or if there even is such a thing there… Is there… Vegeta?”

Vegeta was quiet for a moment before he answered, “If there is, I had never found it, but perhaps I wasn’t meant to find it there…” and they kissed again.

Goku ran away in stealth after that, heading to the other side of the house and then out into the city, and then he took to the sky as quickly as he could and flew straight back to the hotel. He did not know why he put himself through all that effort and danger, just to feel worse off by it all than he already did. But now he knows that it is true. It is happening. It is real.

Once back on his balcony he smoked another cigarette to try and calm down and think things through, but it didn’t help anything.

He tried and tried and tried to fall asleep, even after he heard Vegeta landing on his balcony sometime later and slide the door open and close.

He tried and tried and tried to fall asleep.

He tried but he couldn’t, and when his alarm went off at 4:00 his head was pounding, and his thoughts had never changed or skipped a beat from the troublesome noise they had been all through the night.

He was ready to go before anyone else and to everyone else he simply looked tired as they readied to leave. He remained quiet and reserved and avoided Vegeta’s gaze with everything in him.

It didn’t matter, Vegeta was every bit as tired, and very distracted. He hadn’t slept, either. Besides, he was avoiding everyone’s gaze as well.

They were out the door and in the limo at 5 am sharp. They arrived back at the helicopter landing, where they took the brief flight in the small plane back to the landing pods. Leno and Emeri nodded at everyone in their goodbyes and they helped them with their things, packing Vegeta up first. Then the other three got into their pods and closed them, nodding their goodbyes to the Earthlings waving them off.

Goku thought to himself, as the ship talked to him, filling with the sleeping gas, _‘They’re probably happy to see us go… Poor Earthlings… Miserably ignorant of our return… Not mine… Not again… Shit… I never called Raditz…’_


	15. 15

Chapter 15

Back on Planet Vegeta, Goku emerges from his pod with only Leno and Emeri there to greet him. They smile at him, and Leno hands him a capsule, tells him to keep it and the clothes inside of it, and says that they’ll see him around, giving him a wink. They go on their way quickly after that. Goku looks around for a moment, trying to reorient himself on this area, and he catches a glimpse at the fourth empty pod. Vegeta, of course, is nowhere to be found. He must have landed first and thank goodness for that.

He walks inside without much thought and was nodded at by the flight pod specialist who told him, “Welcome back,” as he passed, but that was all she said.

He was feeling rested from his journey and he figured he would head to his room first, clean himself up and relax, figure out exactly what day and time it is, and then get something to eat. He needs to call his brother and his father, but his phone is in his luggage at the moment. The only thing he put in his pocket out of the capsule before leaving Earth was his room key, so the calls would have to wait.

He made his way through the castle, blending in quickly with the crowds of people running about, shouting at one another. Goku wondered at the scene for a minute before he figured they were all undoubtedly excited for the Prince’s return. He didn’t care about that, though, he was too busy being impressed with himself that he remembers his way.

Once he got to his room he felt better. Far better. In fact, he wasn’t sure if it was the room itself that he’s come to miss, or if it was just his own personal privacy that he was thankful to have back. Either way, he sighed and then popped open the capsule Raditz had given to him and let everything lay there in the middle of his living room. It looked just the same as it did when he’d put it all inside. He looked at the second capsule for a moment before doing the same with it, tossing it open to land on his other pile of clothes, not that he would need any of them, but making the mess was like a small bit of rebellion. Of course, he’d clean it up later, but the fact that he could fling his things around and not have someone look at him strangely for doing it made him feel good inside. Trivial, yes, but it felt like a victory to him, nonetheless. Then he headed to his bedroom to shower.

He spent this time in thoughtless glee. No Prince Vegeta. No Dukes or Duchesses. No dinners or lunches or meetings. No Leno. No Emeri. No _Bulma Briefs_. He let his head rest on the tile of the wall and just stood there. He stood there for what felt like forever, actually, and only after he figured the water was never going to turn cold did he decide to start cleaning himself up. Again, he took his time. No one is there to yell at him to hurry up or tell him what to do, so why not? He even groomed his tail and scrubbed his feet a little longer than usual. Hell, he shampooed his hair twice, and it had nothing to do with trying to get Vegeta’s scent off of him, even though he was pretty sure it was already long gone. The memories weren’t, but he tried not to think about that or about the inevitability of seeing him again.

Once he finished, he started to feel like himself again, and he got out of the shower and brushed his teeth before he went back into his room. He let his towel drop as he walked, completely complacent to finally be alone for a while, and he planned on making it last as long as he could, although his stomach was grumbling and _that_ he _couldn’t_ ignore. He rummaged through his closet for his uniform, knowing that he had to wear the Royal’s colors, on duty or off, and he found one quickly amongst the few items he’d hung up in there, and threw it on without thinking much about anything other than the promise of a good Saiyan meal.

He headed back through the hallway and stepped over to the pile of clothes he’d left on the floor and sifted through everything, looking for his phone and his scouter. He found both, put his scouter on, turned his phone on and placed it in his pocket, picked up his pay card and his room key and then finally turned to head out the door to get something to eat. That’s when he saw it- his schedule- and he clicked his scouter for the date and time, and when he looked back at the schedule, he groaned to himself as he realized that he’s _scheduled_ today. In an _hour_. Why is he scheduled _today?_ They just got back?!

He wondered, though, at the timeframe listed with his summons, it wasn’t specific, it just said “meeting,” and nothing more. He wondered, too, what the guards did when the Prince wasn’t around, but he guessed they just trained and more or less enjoyed not being called to work for him every day.

He went back into his bedroom and changed again, this time into his armor, and then he headed out, determined to find the time to get something to eat, regardless of how short he might be cutting it.

On his way to the cafeteria Halise came running up to him along with Rictor. At first, Goku ignored them, not thinking that they might be coming to see him, but then, when they call his name, he stops, confused, and speaks to them.

“Man, Goku, for a minute there I thought you weren’t gonna talk to us,” Halise jokes, “What, are you too good for the rest of the guard, now?”

“Wha- no!” Goku scratches the back of his head, “I’m just starving! I’m heading for the food court! I just got back a few hours ago and I haven’t eaten yet, haha!” and he continues walking.

Rictor chuckles, falling in line with him, “Food on the brain, huh? That’s all the time for you! I bet you miss home cooking, don’t you?”

Goku nods and smiles while his stomach growls.

Halise grins and says, following right along, “Well, you don’t have much time, you know, so I guess I can see your hurry! We were sent to find you! To make sure you knew that you were scheduled today. But you obviously know since you’ve got your armor on. What is this meeting is about?”

“Huh?” Goku wonders, “I don’t know?”

Rictor explains, “Well the schedule just got updated today, and from what I heard all of the guards have been requested to go to our normal spot. Apparently Jero and Hanes have some announcement to make, but I haven’t heard anything else. I bet it’s a party and I am down for it.”

Goku focuses only on the idea of eating as they enter the food court and gets in line to pick something out while Rictor and Halise catch him up on what he’s missed and they kept on talking without a care in the world.

It’s been nearly three months since he’s been back, and while listening to them speak reminds him of coming back to his ranks from spending time at war, the news wasn’t as interesting, and he wasn’t as invested in hearing all about it. He’s still too new to really have an opinion on the topics they bring up, or a thought behind the people they poke fun about, but the more he listened, the more he started to realize, that this is his life, now, his new life, and he became more comfortable with the idea of paying attention and assimilating, as much as he could.

Once he filled as many plates as he can carry, they sit down and he begins to chow down quickly as Rictor makes comments about him slowing down before he chokes and Halise makes passes at some of the random women walking by them.

The women wave him off and he turns back to the others and says with a mischievous grin, “They always act like they aren’t interested in public but get them alone and it’s a different story.”

“Yeah, right,” Rictor rolls his eyes, “You don’t have any proof to back up that line! So! Goku, tell us! What was Earth like? What was it like with Prince Vegeta?! Was he… well, how was he?”

He never told them he was going to Earth. Word must get out pretty quickly.

Halise adds, “I heard Leno went with you- he’s known to be a bit of a prick- thinks he’s something else, being a part of the King’s aid and all. And Emeri went with you, too, didn’t she? She’s a vixen if I’ve ever seen one,” he winked.

They even know who went with him.

“Again! Another women who would look right through you! You don’t have a chance, Halise! She’s way out of your league!” Rictor elbows him, “What’s with you, today? You haven’t been laid in a while?!”

“So what if I have or if I haven’t! I can still look! Dick! Anyways, Goku, I wanna know all about your time on Earth! Did you get to have any fun? Or was it all business? It probably was, knowing Prince Vegeta. He’s so serious all the time,” he lowered his voice, “He never lightens up.”

Goku couldn’t help but laugh a little at them both, and a little at his situation, because he didn’t know how else to respond. He can’t for the life of him think of why they’re being so inclusive with him all the sudden. Sure, they were friendlier with him before he left than some of the other guards, he just didn’t remember being this type of close before he left. Perhaps they really do view him as part of the squad, now.

“So?!” Halise insists, “What happened?! Why did the Prince go there, anyways?”

“Oh, um,” Goku swallowed and stalled, “He was just… speaking with some important people. Business stuff,” he nods, “Way over my head, ya know?” He didn’t want to talk about Vegeta.

“Tch, figures,” Rictor replied, looking at his phone, “I bet you have some stories to tell, though. You’re holding out on us; I can feel it!”

Goku smiled with his mouth full but ignored his interrogation and kept on eating.

“We have to hurry,” Rictor says, finally looking up from his phone, “Are you done yet? Stupid question, you’re never done eating!”

Halise smiled and stood up, “I’m gonna head that way and see what I can find out! Good to see you, Goku! We’ll catch up soon!” and with that he left.

Goku nodded while he finished up and Rictor began to help him clear up some of his plates, urging him to hurry.

Once Goku was finished the two of them headed for the meeting and Goku couldn’t help but ask, “You really think they’re gonna have another party? Does this happen every time a member of the Royal House returns from something?”

He shrugs and nods, “I’m leaning towards it. Prince Vegeta rarely leaves the planet anymore, not since a few years ago when the King started grooming him for Kingship.”

“‘Grooming him for Kingship?’” Goku asked but then immediately felt stupid for asking. Of course the King is preparing him to lead. He’s getting _married_.

He chuckled, “Yeah, I forget you’re not used to this type of thing. You have a lot to learn. Usually when they call _all of us_ to a meeting, which doesn’t happen that often, it’s either wartime or party time. The castle is pretty consistent that way and King Vegeta likes to keep us well fed and satisfied,” he smirked, “He’s been that way ever since the end of Frieza, but if you think it’s all good food and loose fun, you should have seen it before. But, you’re much too young to know what I’m talking about,” He chuckled again.

Goku wondered how old Rictor is, really. Saiyans tend to look so young for so long, and although Goku knows he’s significantly older than him, he didn’t think to question how much more he may know than he him about any topic.

Rictor added, even though Goku never replied, “Some say that things around here might change when the elder Prince becomes King. Prince Vegeta doesn’t seem the type of man to really enjoy the simpler things. In fact,” he whispered, “some say they hope he doesn’t become King. They think he might turn it down from the pressure- can you believe that? Yeah right,” he looked at him seriously, “They’d much rather have Prince Tarble because they think he’ll be _nicer_ but-” he raised his voice again, “I think Prince Tarble doesn’t have what it takes. Prince Vegeta will be an exceptional King, and as long as the younger Prince is around, I think we’ll have a good amount of fun, yet.”

“Huh,” Goku replied and he thought about that as they walked. As a part of normal society, he never felt affected by the Royal House, not as the men and women of the castle clearly feel, and they know quite a bit more about it, don’t they?

As a part of the army, sure, he followed orders, but he never gave much consideration to who was giving them or why they were being given, not unless he felt that the orders themselves would put himself or others in unnecessary danger. He _has_ been known to disobey commands from his higherups, and regardless if he was right, which he generally was, he’s paid the price for his insubordination. Still, Planet Vegeta isn’t run like other places, like the Earth, for instance. Everything comes down from one chain of command, and their people, while having similar problems over all to the Earthlings, are much more content with their leadership and their laws.

It’s strange now to consider that he knows the _future_ _King_. He _knows_ him.

Fuck. What has he done?

He couldn’t help but feel a little weird hearing Rictor talk about Vegeta like that, but all he’s done is given his opinion. How many millions, how many _billions_ of opinions must the people of Planet Vegeta have about him? How vast must they all certainly be, and yet, how insignificant? How many rumors did he hear before coming to the castle? Did he ever have any thoughts about him before this?

No wonder Vegeta behaves so elusively, why give anyone information to spread?

No wonder they brought someone random with him, as Emeri and Leno so tactfully put it. Anyone could literally tell the whole world the plan and then what?

But, is Vegeta as cold and hardheaded and unkind as some of them think? Does that even matter?

Goku couldn’t seem to agree that Vegeta can’t enjoy the simpler things. He could recall watching Vegeta appreciating a sunset and even smelling the wind on occasion, and he noticed whenever he was in deep thought while listening to someone speak, or when looking at some artifact or other while they were on Earth. Goku didn’t believe that he’s nothing but serious, either, not when remembering his quiet laughter while they were on the beach, or his clear desire to be distracted by his responsibilities, even if only for a moment, even if only by a stiff drink here and a stolen kiss there.

The memories flooded him, and he grew nervous as his mind tried to validate and analyze what had happened on Earth, from both perspectives. Suddenly his thoughts blipped back to their fight, when Vegeta was clearly drunk and upset, after Goku had messed up the Gravity Machine. Their fight before their first time when Vegeta argued emotionally, saying to him, _“Do you have any idea what I’m dealing with right now?!_... _I have enough problems at hand without adding **you** as one of them! _… _You think you know better than me?! Is that it?!_... _Never to worry, Kakarot thinks it’s going to be A-Okay, hmm?_... _You don’t think I know how ridiculous this is?!_... _You think I want this?! I don’t want any of this!”_

Goku shook his head, but the moment wouldn’t fade. What did he mean? Does that mean that he… doesn’t _really_ want to be with her?

And then, too, what about the argument he had with his father over the phone… Vegeta has said that nothing was final… Was his alleged arranged marriage what he was referring to that morning? And all the times he locked himself in his room… and was so anxious and preoccupied…

He pouted as his mind argued with him that Vegeta hurt him, and he obviously doesn’t care. He _clearly_ doesn’t care. What does _Goku_ know about _Prince Vegeta_? What does a few nights in his bed prove?

“Damn,” Rictor said, interrupted his thoughts, “Everyone is here. Look.”

Goku lifted and focused his eyes and saw that many more men than expected were filing into their meeting room. By the time they got inside Jero and Hanes were being bombarded with questions and they looked annoyed and secretive and kept telling the men to wait until everyone else arrived. Goku walked up to the rest of his group and got some warm welcomes, some cold ones, and a few of the men and women ignored him entirely, but he wasn’t put off by any of it. Zuko found him and started speaking to him much like Halise and Rictor had, asking him questions about his trip and all, but Goku could only force a small smile back in response as their conversation got cut short. One of the guards noticed some of the _King’s_ men were filing in and making a perimeter around everyone. A hush grew over the crowd as Goku tried to figure out who the other unknown men were, but he guessed he would have to wait to ask questions later. Prince Tarble’s men were then brought into the room, lead by their set of instructors, and they went to stand with Prince Vegeta’s, and then everyone was told to remain silent and listen for further instruction.

Goku got the feeling that something else was going on, indeed.

Prince Tarble entered the room swiftly, followed by four more of his guards, and all of the men, the King’s, and both Prince’s, and the seemingly random, undistinguished group, bowed until he told them to stand. He asked for Jero and Hanes, as well as his men’s advisors and spoke to them briefly and quietly on one side of the room while everyone else waited.

Once their meeting finished, he walked with them back to the group and smiled, saying, “Good afternoon everyone! I’m sure you are all wondering what’s going on.” No one dared speak. Tarble wasn’t a frightening man, to be sure, in fact, he looked docile and kind, weak even, but he is still Prince, and he is well liked, and well respected. He explained, “As you all know Prince Vegeta has returned today, and so I have called you here to propose something a little different for our festivities this evening. As you might have guessed we are going to host a party, but I thought that perhaps we could do something a little more… interesting than the normal dances and drinking, although there will be plenty of that.”

Some of Tarble’s men laughed, clearly comfortable and used to him enough to do so, before the Prince explained further, silencing them with the subtle lift of his hand, much like his brother.

“I would like to host a tournament, of sorts. I was thinking a small group of you would like to compete tonight, for Prince Vegeta’s _particular_ amusement. It will be an excellent way to break up the monotony, and I intend to have the entertainment start early in the evening, so you can still enjoy yourselves afterwards.”

A few more chuckles broke out and Tarble stopped to smile, knowingly, and then he explained, “The men who are interested may go and stand to the left here, and speak with Jero, everyone else go to the right and Zenera will tell you whether you are supposed to work tonight or not,” a great clamor of whispers sprung out from the crowd, no doubt the men were considering fighting over working, and before it could grow the Prince raised his voice, “BUT,” the crowd silenced, “There is a catch. You must know the old way of Bojutsu (staff fighting). We will have no ki involved, obviously, and we don’t want this to last all night, and it shouldn’t become something more serious as I assume none of you would like to spend the night in a regeneration tank. Traditional rules will follow, the first to strike their opponent 5 times wins, and there’s not really a prize, I’m afraid, but if you’re interested in pleasing your Prince, I suggest you sign up.” With that he turned away and walked back over to his advisors.

Goku’s heart pounded. He knows Bojutsu, quite well, in fact, it’s one of the first types of martial arts he ever learned as a child. He couldn’t help but swallow hard as he began to steer left, against his better judgement. He wanted to compete. He needed the thrill of a fight. He wasn’t one to turn down a contest. Besides, if nothing else it will prove to be a decent distraction from a certain someone that he would be wasting time fussing over, otherwise.

Zuko asked, following him briefly, “Hey, are you gonna sign up for that?! There’s gonna be a lot of people there watching your every move?! I’d rather risk my chances of getting called to work!”

Goku smiled and replied simply, “Sure! Why not?! I didn’t get to train at all on Earth! I think I’m up for it! Meet me back at the entrance?” and with that he turned and continued, finding the interested competitors forming a ring.

Only about fifteen men decided to go for the fights and while waiting for Prince’s Tarble’s men to deliberate how they were going to pick from amongst them, Goku talked to some of the men that he didn’t recognize and he asked them innocently, “Hey, I’m Goku. Are you a part of the Royal Guard, I haven’t seen you around?”

The men chuckled at his honest face and ignorant question and one of them explained, “No, I am not. Not all of us here guard the Royal House,” He looked around at some of his men and explained, “We are a part of the Castle Guard.”

One of them stepped forward and said, “Yes, I’m surprised you don’t recognize me, why, I remember your first night here, _Goku_. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten already?”

Goku looked at him, and after imagining the guardian suit on him he blushed and scratched the back of his head, saying, “Oh yeah! You’re the one that came and got me that first night when I got lost…!” and then he looked at another one of them and said, “And you’re the one that kept pointing me in the direction of the cafeteria! Thanks!”

The men looked at each other again and smiled before turning back to him. Many of the others surrounding them were listening to their conversation as the one who had taken Goku from Vegeta’s sight that first night they met introduced himself. “I am Fraund,” he lifted his chin, looking the young man up and down, and asked doubtfully, “Are you any good with a staff or are you simply down to be in any competition available?”

Goku smiled and answered, “I learned when I was young!”

The other guard, who is younger than Fraund, eyed him and seemed to become cautious as he said, “I am Waynel, and I believe that if you’re going to enter this fight I might count myself out.”

“Huh?!” Goku wondered, “Why? It’ll be fun!”

He lifted his upper lip in mock amusement and replied, “I’m sure it would! And it would give me the chance to have the night off! But I’m afraid your lineage is apparently more daunting than you know. I assume Bardock taught you?”

“Yeah,” Goku replied, “Well, I have had other instructors, too, but my father’s always taken an interest in my fighting abilities and development.”

Many of the other men listening began to chime in and some of them argued that they’ve known Bardock a long time, and that they would, too, concede, knowing that they would be going up against his son, but some others told Goku that it would be an honor to face him, some conceitedly, and some, not so much.

By the time Jero was finished speaking with Prince Tarble and ready to take the names of who would participate, the small crowd had dwindled themselves down to a group of six, much to his surprise, but he took their information without question, told them where to meet and what time and explained that they would be given more details later on, and then he dismissed them after that.

Goku said goodbye to his new acquaintances and turned to go find his friends just as they, too, were being dismissed.

Zuko ran up to him and said, “Good news, I’m off! Tell me you decided to back out?” Goku laughed and Zuko knew immediately that he hadn’t. He argued, playfully, “What are you trying to prove? The Prince is just going to sit there and yawn the whole time! You really fell for Prince Tarble’s ‘please your Prince’ line, huh?”

Halise, who came up at the end of their conversation, added, “Yeah. Don’t you know Prince Vegeta’s not happy unless _he’s_ the one in the ring? But I guess you’re one of those sick freaks that gets off at the rush of battle itself, instead of just getting through it and being done with it. The aftermath is where it’s at for most of us, but you’re one of those rare Saiyans that goes out _looking_ for trouble, aren’t you? Masochist!”

Goku sputtered in his laughter as he tried to think of a response, but he couldn’t fully explain, and he didn’t bother trying. It didn’t have everything to do with Vegeta, but it didn’t have everything to do with wanting to endanger himself either. He never really looked at it that way. How could he? He only looked at things like a challenge, and what’s a challenge if you don’t have to rise to meet it? He told them he’d see them later and they wished him luck and then they all parted ways.

Turns out he didn’t have much time to himself this day at all, either that or time itself was flying by without giving him a chance. He got back to his room, changed out of his armor, headed out to go get a light snack and a quick smoke, and then went to the training area to do a warmup. From there he got so carried away in the good feeling of movement that by the time he looked at his phone he saw that it was almost time to meet up with the others, and that he has a text from his father and his brother, but he was running late, so he ignored those for now and ran through the castle, and with direction from several castle guards, he headed to yet another room he’s never been to before and it’s there that he discovered he was the last of the contestants to arrive. He looked around the room and saw the same men from before as well as several men and women sitting down and off to the side which he didn’t recognize, but he was torn from his thoughts before he even had the chance to finish them.

“Good!” Jero said, standing to attention, “You all made it here on time!” he shot Goku a stern but amused glare, “Well, I’m sure you’re wondering why you were called here so much earlier than the party’s starting, so, let me explain, and before any of you start pissing and moaning about what I’m about to say, just remember that these instructions come straight from the mouth of Prince Tarble himself and, well,” he chuckled, “I think it will be good fun.”

He began walking over to the wall where there hung several ornamented bronze masks, each of different facial features and made over to gleam, with slits in the eyes for seeing and an opening to breath though the nose, but the mouths were closed up and the faces of the masks were beautiful but stern.

He picked one off the wall and said, “Tonight, you will be competing in these!”

The men all looked at each other confused, while the men and women who were waiting by stood up and came over to assess their new “art projects.”

Jero explained, “We will also give you headdresses which attach, to cover your hair, or your baldness,” he said, joking to one of his own men, and at that the others did laugh. “And these men and women,” he motioned to the artists standing by, “Will be painting your bodies with ancient writing and symbols.” Some of the men made a face and Jero grinned, “You guessed it! You’ll be wearing a little _less_ clothing than usual. Not quite as small as a loin cloth though, so cheer up.”

“Isn’t this,” someone interrupted, then hesitated, before coming out with it, “I don’t know, a little… barbaric?”

Jero shrugged, looking down at the mask, “It’s from our culture and it should be appreciated. In fact,” he looked up and eyed them all closely, “You should consider yourselves lucky to even be able to wear any of these things,” he walked over to the wall again and set the mask back on it, and then came back over to them as he added, “From here you will each be taken into a separate room where you will be painted and fitted for your head pieces, and you will be given a staff to fight with from the Royals stash of weaponry, so I suggest trying _not_ to break anything.”

Someone else dared to ask, “What’s with the secrecy?”

“Well, it _was_ Prince Tarble’s idea, so I’m not sure, but I, for one, kind of like the idea. Think of it as putting on a show. You’ll be fighting under a different identity, really. Only the men and women who were in the meeting will be able to try and identify you, but with the masks, the hairpieces, and the artistry, it should be quite difficult to tell you apart, aside from height and girth, anyways. I guess it makes the battle that much more intriguing. Even you, yourselves, won’t know who you’re up against.

“Oh, that reminds me, there is another group of men who is fighting as well, we didn’t tell you that, and they’re getting ready elsewhere. Once you get out there,” he laughed, “You truly won’t know who is who. And now! Once you get done up in everything you won’t be shown to anyone until shortly before the fighting starts, and your identity won’t be _revealed_ until your part of the battle is finished. Good idea, huh? I think it’s for the amusement of everyone, really. The King and the Princes, and, of course, the crowd.”

No one had anything more to say and they all looked at one another strangely while Jero smiled, “It’s time for me to go. Any other questions you might have will be explained before the fights begin,” he turned to leave but as he took a few steps away he called back, “Oh, and be good to your painters and don’t fuck up their work before it dries,” he chuckled and then added, “Good luck out there,” as he left.

Goku was, as promised, taken away into a room with only himself and the two artists who chose him, and from there he didn’t know what to think. He was stripped to nothing and he wondered, looking down at the woman as she started on his legs and over at the guy as he started on his arm, “Am I gonna be able to get something to eat before the fights start?”

The woman laughed, “I’ll call for some food for you when we’re finished.”

“Okay!” he agreed and left the rest of it up to them. “Um, can I have my phone?” he asked as an after-thought, and he hated the question even as the words came out of his mouth.

“No, this is supposed to be a secret, remember?” the man answered simply. “You’ll get your things back after your fight.”

“Okay,” Goku yielded easily enough.

They worked rather quickly considering how tall and vast their canvas is, and Goku stood as still as he could as he let his mind wander. This was promising to be an interesting night after all, and to be completely honest, he was beginning to look forward to it. He sighed and meditated while they did their thing.

After two and a half hours they were finally finished painting him and he was told to let the last of it dry for thirty more minutes before sitting down or leaning back on anything, but that he could bend his arms and legs without worry. As promised the woman ordered him some food and by the time it got there and he was through eating, all his paints were dry.

The woman explained, “You have an hour before you are supposed to be called, and we still have to fasten the rest of your wardrobe together, hurry up and go to the bathroom in there if you need to,” she pointed, “And come back out so we can finish.”

Goku nodded gratefully and did as he was told, opening the door to head inside, but he was taken aback when he saw himself in the mirror. He stood there staring at their work for some time, amazed at the intricacy and the balance of it all. There didn’t seem to be a part of him untouched by their pictures. Even his neck and face, though mostly bare, were still drawn on with symmetry and delicate lines. He wondered at their skill before doing his business. He washed his hands gently and then headed back out to them.

“This is amazing!” he told them.

They thanked him but told him to hush as they handed him his garments, which consisted only of an old style kilt-like pant, which covered most of his ass, was gathered in the front, but exposed nearly all of the artistry on his thighs and was easy to move around in as he tried different kicks stances.

“Stand still!” the man commanded, “This might take a minute to secure,” and he brought up the mask and fit it to Goku’s face, which they had picked out from their selection to be as close of a match as possible. The mask itself fastened rather comfortably around his face and behind his head, and he found that he was only missing a little bit of his peripheral vision, and that in spite of it being a little hot, it wasn’t difficult to breath in, either.

From there they fit the hairpiece on him, which took a little bit longer. It did attach to the mask, but they were taking extra precautions to make sure it wouldn’t fall off and that all of his own hair was hidden inside.

Goku had no idea what it looked like but he could feel the hair, or maybe fur, he guessed, coming down a little past his shoulders, and he wondered at his new look, eager to see himself and get this battle started.

He felt like himself again; like a warrior preparing for battle, putting on his uniform and getting pumped up for a fight. He couldn’t help grinning to himself, since no one else could see it, as he felt the surge and pressure of the contest that he’s entered beginning to swell up inside of him. He felt like letting out a battle cry in all his excitement and he didn’t know if he was going to be able to contain himself in his wait.

They finished up just in time and Goku went to the mirror to see himself, and he smirked at the sight. He looked like a picture from their history books if he’s ever seen one, and as he leaned in closer he was surprised to notice that although he could see out of the mask, no one could see his eyes, or anything else, behind it. He turned back to the other two and thanked them, and they seemed surprised to hear it, but they accepted his gratitude with some of their own just as someone came knocking, calling for each of the contestants and telling him through the door to meet outside of the training area. The male artist went over to a bench and opened a long, intricately ornamented case, he pulled out and handed him his staff for the battle, and then told him to go and they both wished him luck.

Goku left and headed to the training rooms. He saw that no one was around as they got closer. Everyone must be at the party. He began to quicken his pace, excited to see everyone else in their get up, as well, and he felt his blood pumping the closer he got, and when he turned the corner, his anticipation rose in seeing every else look just as amazing as he did. None of their artwork was the same, but it was all amazing.

“No talking! Any of you! Follow my instruction! Hush!” Someone was saying. Goku turned to see Zenera, Prince Tarble’s guard’s regulator, was the one speaking to them. “Is this everyone?” she counted them, “Good!”

Goku felt like he was buzzing, and he knew that his mood was consistent with everyone else involved.

“Listen carefully,” Zenera commanded, “You are to follow me, I’ll show you where to enter. It will be from behind the main stage. When you come in, walk, each of you, up to the Royal’s thrones and bow before you do anything else! There will be a great commotion so don’t forget! There will be a ring cleared out for you to fight in! Do NOT fight until it is called to begin! Listen! It will be a free for all. And as I’m sure you’ve heard there are more that will be joining you, but don’t get carried away in there! Only strike your opponents, you shouldn’t get them confused with anyone else!”

The men began to chuckle as their anticipation rose.

“SILENCE!” she growled, “Now! There will be regulators! Fight fair! The first to be struck 5 times by the same man will step out of the arena, reveal themselves to the Royal House and the crowd, and then step back off stage the way you entered. We have arranged for a proper change of clothes, including your phones and scouters, to be brought to you! Afterwards!” she smiled, “You can enjoy yourselves and mingle with everyone else!”

Her scouter beeped and she stopped to regard it before she smirked and said, “Gentlemen, let’s go! I’m looking forward to the show! Good luck and follow me!”

The air was static with the rise of their energy and each of them knew without seeing it for themselves, that they were grinning behind their masks and itching inside to begin.

The travel to the party went by in a blur. They went through a dark passage after a few minutes and the hallways never brightened after that. Goku realized that they were entering through where the King had entered 3 months ago and before he knew it, he was looking around and there were more men with him than before, and another person leading them in addition to Zenera. They stopped at some large doors, and they could hear the party going on just past them. Zenera halted the men for a second, waiting for permission to enter. Apparently, the crowd was being introduced to the evening’s entertainment. Then her scouter blipped, and she smirked and threw the doors open.

Walking out to the surprise and the cries and the shock of the crowd was deafening and didn’t help Goku catch the details of this moment any better, but his feet kept on going in spite of his overwhelming feelings. Taking his turn to bow to the King and his sons, though, he felt that moment heavy upon him, and he was sure the rest of the men did as well. When he lifted up to turn away, he couldn’t help but peer into Vegeta’s eyes, though he’d told himself he wasn’t going to, and he saw that the Prince was as handsome as ever, fully clad in black as usual, although no detail of his outfit could be seen because he wore a large cape which covered his entire body front and back, even his feet, and he was sitting perfectly still, and unrevealing in any of his thoughts. The Prince couldn’t tell that he was looking at him, though, since the mask itself wasn’t revealing in that manner, and Goku felt himself breath heavy in the gear before he turned and headed to the opening before them. He thought he heard drums in the background, but it could very well just have been his heart pounding inside of his chest.

The rest of the men entered the circle. There was screaming and clapping and laughing and Goku looked around and tried to concentrate but he couldn’t separate any moment from any other. Someone was explaining to the Royal House how the contest was going to go down, while all the men who had entered readied themselves for the call of battle to sound. Goku looked around at each of them and he couldn’t tell who was who, much less what was what outside of the ring. Then he knew he was hearing the sound of drums from just over the clamor of the crowd and everyone’s anticipation rose.

Then suddenly he heard, “BEGIN!” and combat was waged mercilessly. He didn’t have time to focus on anything other than battle, and the whooshing and clanking sounds of the staffs soaring through the air and striking out.

Goku was good at this, although he hadn’t practiced in a while, very good, actually, and he was able to combo-strike several of the men out of the game rather quickly, as a few of the other men targeted and took out some of their opponents as well. The men fighting slowly dwindled down in number after only a short period of time. The crowd ate it up.

Each time a man lost his place and right to fight, he walked up to the thrones where the Royal’s sat and revealed himself to them, bowing low, and then turned to the crowd, much to their approval. There were resounding “ooo’s” and bouts of laughter and clapping and cries of excitement each time one of them did so, and Goku was being egged on by the subsequent hollers and cheering on of those men which remained in the ring.

His face was dripping with sweat from the mask, as was his body from the exertion of fighting with only the power of his muscles to keep him going and he was loving every minute of it.

Before long there were only three men left, himself being one of them, and he was doing his best to avoid being hit, although he wasn’t even close to taking either of the others out of the competition, but before he could deliver another blow the fight was suddenly called to a halt, and the men were told to stop immediately. He looked around but couldn’t figure out what was going on, that is, until Prince Tarble began to speak.

“Brother!” he said, surprise evident on his face and in his voice, and he stood up from his seat and looked over at his kin, “Why have you called the fights, my Lord?”

Goku took this time to regain his breath as everyone listened and watched and he stood up straight as he saw Vegeta take a stand, as well.

Vegeta closed his eyes and smirked, clearly enjoying putting his brother in some distress. Then he turned to him and said, “I’m afraid I can no longer stand by and watch.”

The King’s face was curious as he listened to their conversation, literally caught between the two.

Then Vegeta flung his cape open and tossed it to the side in one swift movement, revealing a getup similar to the one the fighter’s in the ring wore, paintings and all. The crowd gasped and then screamed their approval. Vegeta then motioned for two people, who were ready and waiting, to come forth, one holding Vegeta’s headdress and mask, and the other, his staff, and then he said to his brother, “You see, I found out about your plan and I liked the idea so much that I decided to be a part of it.”

Tarble grinned, clearly amazed, and the King barked in laughter and clapped, and so did everyone else, and the whole of the room was floored and thrilled.

Goku didn’t know if he would be able to stop his heart from beating so hard ever again in his life. He was going to get the chance to go up against his Prince.

The Prince allowed himself to be covered by the mask and the hairpiece, which took a minute, but the time taken did not take away from the crowds growing surge of excitement, and then, once ready, he was handed his staff and he walked down the stairs and into the ring with powerful and deliberate steps, twirling the baton at his side around once with practiced skill.

The men inside of the ring all bowed to him and, much to the shock of the crowd, one of three of them forfeit, laying his staff at Prince Vegeta’s bare feet. He stood up and revealed himself to be none other than General Nappa. Goku was stunned and he watched as the General walked over to the King and Prince Tarble and bowed to them, before turning to the crowd and everyone roared with delight.

How Vegeta was feeling about that none could say, but when, after another moment, a second of the three men conceded, doing the same as Nappa had in placing his staff at Vegeta’s feet and then revealing himself to be a man of the King’s Guard whom Goku did not know, Prince Vegeta allowed him to walk away and bow to the King and Prince Tarble before he spoke to the final remaining fighter.

“Is there one here who will dare to challenge me?!” he growled out, speaking directly to the hidden fighter, and the crowd went wild, their cries raising impossibly louder, and they called for an answer. Vegeta asked the question as though he meant for the other fighter to back down, as a way of intimidation, even, but Goku knew that Vegeta would be disappointed if he gave up. How he will feel after he is revealed Goku couldn’t possibly have a clue.

Knowing better than to speak, lest he reveal himself, and again, going against his better judgment, he bowed at Vegeta, and for a moment everyone thought he was going to surrender, but instead he raised again and took his stance.

The crowd turned into white noise as the announcer cried, “BEGIN!” and Goku could hear and see nothing other than Prince Vegeta.

The Prince was ruthless, quick, concise, and calculating. He lifted his staff into the air and swung it around with expert skill before bringing it down and striking Goku in his ribs all in under a minute’s time. Goku was smiling like a madman behind his mask despite the blow, and despite the crowds cheering for their Prince. He was loving every minute of this.

The fight continued as Goku, who remembered watching some of Vegeta’s training from their time on Earth, tried to use that knowledge here, and after going at a stalemate for another minute, Goku finally got a hit in on the Prince’s thigh. Vegeta countered quickly though, striking him in the stomach and then swinging low and knocking Goku off his feet with one quick swipe of his leg.

 _‘Ok, that’s two for him…’_ Goku thought as he rolled away and sprang back up into his stance. He tried to reassess his situation, but Vegeta was striking faster now, and he didn’t have time to think much about anything other than what he was going to do next. He struck and missed, then Vegeta struck and their staffs locked, and they stared into one another’s masks for a few moments until they both pulled back to start over, and then went back in for more.

Another minute passed and just when Goku thought he was going to make contact Vegeta made an unexpected move, utilizing his body to dodge Goku’s blow while rolling his own staff behind him and he struck him hard in the face, cracking the mask that Goku was wearing and causing him to lose his footing for a moment.

 _‘That’s Vegeta, three; Me, one,’_ Goku dizzily counted to himself and he shook his head at the pain and marveled at Vegeta while he tried to think of a way to get a hit in on him. As he watched him closely, he licked his lips and tasted the mask, it tasted like metal as he swiped his sweat onto his tongue, and he tried to concentrate. He closely eyed the other man as he encircled him confidently, still swinging his weapon around in a very distracting manner. The people roared.

They danced for another minute or so but when Vegeta went to strike this time, Goku allowed the stick to hit his own, and then he followed down the length of it, striking Vegeta’s arm down, hard.

 _‘Two for me!’_ he thought, _‘Man this mask is getting hotter.’_ He wished he could see Vegeta’s face, but he had no way of knowing what the Prince was thinking, and he knew better than to try and read him like this. He was just going to have to keep on attacking.

Vegeta had a different plan in mind, though, and he made that painfully obvious with his next two moves. He stalked his prey, as he has been, and waited for the right moment. When Goku went in for another blow, Vegeta used his staff, bringing it up fast from below to ricochet Goku’s upward and then he managed to twist it and fling it not only out of his hands, but straight into the wall behind him. The crowd screamed. Drums pounded.

Goku looked up for a second in shock, his heart racing as he saw his weapon lodged and out of reach, and then he turned back to Vegeta just in time to be slashed hard in the chest. He grabbed at the place where he’d been struck and fell to one knee in pain, but just as Vegeta sought to end it, swiping again, he reached out and caught the pole with both hands and held on desperately.

Vegeta leaned closer, pressuring him to give in with his strength and his weight. Kakarot struggled on one knee to fight him off, but Vegeta wouldn’t budge. He pushed forward harder and Kakarot’s other knee buckled, and he was forced to fight back with nothing but his upper body strength and Vegeta pursued his victory.

Then the Prince spoke, and at first Goku was surprised to hear his voice, as he talked to him in the old language. He loomed over him, muscles rippling as he whispered, “I like you on your knees like that.”

“Hah!” Goku laughed, but he wasn’t sure what else to say to such a lewd statement. Does Vegeta flirt with _everyone_? 

Then Vegeta said, “And I like that mask on you… _Kakarot_.”

“My Leige!” Goku whispered back in the same language, completely caught off guard, and he continued to struggle against him. Sweat was dripping down his face and getting into his left eye, making it difficult to concentrate. Still, he was determined, and he was going to say something, no matter if the break in concentration aided in him losing this match or not. No one could hear them, or even tell that they were speaking, the crowd was too loud, the drumming was consisted now, and the masks revealed nothing. Goku replied, still grappling with him and refusing to give in, “You knew it was me?! When?!”

“You think I’d talk to just anybody about being on knees in front of me?” Vegeta chuckled, his deep voice stirring, “As for when…” he leaned in again, pressuring him more with all his might as he admitted, “I knew it was you the moment you stepped up to the throne.”

Goku felt himself buckling but he resisted. It wasn’t his strength that he was giving into.

Vegeta pushed harder and leaned in a little bit more as he added, “And I smelled it; your intoxicating scent…” he breathed as he added roughly, “I’d know your body anywhere… And your body language!” he growled as he put his foot upon Goku’s chest, and pressed him away as he yanked backwards, prying his weapon from his hands.

Goku fell onto his back, and just when he was going to turn over, scramble to his feet and attempt to grab the pole sticking out of the wall, Vegeta was there, side stepping in front of him, gently pressing the tip of his staff into his chest, ending the fight efficiently, and the crowd was delighted. Both men’s chests were heaving from exertion and, unbeknownst to the crowd, unbridled lust.

Goku huffed and stood up and then he bowed to the Prince deeply, no longer nervous about pulling off the mask, but he didn’t expect the reaction he got from the crowd when he did. They all gasped and cried out and Vegeta pulled off his mask as well, but when he looked at his opponent he gave Goku a strange stare, although he said nothing to him as the younger man walked away, away from him and his emotions.

His head pounded, and he walked up to the King and the younger Prince to bow to them as well. They both looked at him incredulously, but Goku didn’t nice their gazes, he wasn’t paying anything any attention, he was too busy catching his breath and trying to sort out his whirring thoughts.

The King turned to the side and motioned for someone to come over just as Goku stood up tall and turned to the crowd.

It was in that moment that someone who worked for the King came up to him and said over the noise of the spectators, and the pounding of his heart, “You’re bleeding. Come. Let me look at it.”

Goku didn’t know that the second hit Vegeta delivered had cracked the mask in such a way that it cut open his face just along his left brow, and the whole time he thought he was getting overly hot in it and tasting the metal of the mask, and that he was sweating harder than usual because of the heat from it, he was actually just bleeding all over the place. The man who’d pointed it out insisted that he was taken away and analyzed, and the King’s men then whisked him away to do just that. Once the doctor assessed him to be mostly okay, he was taken immediately to a regeneration tank to heal, regardless if he wanted it or not, which he certainly did not, but he didn’t have much of a choice.

He sighed to himself as he thought about the fact that everyone is out there partying without him and here he is, hooked up to a machine after having just gotten his ass kicked by the love of his life, who was _flirting_ with him while _he’s_ technically betrothed to someone else, and everyone is probably talking about him and he can’t do anything about any of it. He can’t do anything!

He sighed again and knew that even if he was at that party he wouldn’t be able to do anything about any of it, anyways, and he decided to just let it be what it is and deal with what he can whenever he gets out of here to the best of his abilities, whatever that entails. He tried to calm himself down and let himself rest, even though he has a splitting headache, and just when he was starting to get tired enough to fall asleep he heard the beep of someone coming into the room. He was startled into full consciousness when he saw that it was his father.

Bardock smiled at him and said, “Welcome back! Been trying to get a hold of you, but I guess you’ve been busy.” His eyes gleamed at him.

Goku rolled his eyes as his only means of communication, frustrated that he couldn’t respond to confirm or deny his claims.

Bardock chuckled, “I heard there was quite a show tonight! I wish I could have been there to see it! You went up against Prince Vegeta, huh? Got _your_ butt kicked for once! You’ll have to tell me more, later.” He smirked at him, knowing he was hurling wind onto already roaring flames, still he added, “I talked to the doctors to make sure you were okay, and they told me what happened. You know, I think they were right to put you in here!” Goku glared at him but he laughed and said, “You don’t want to have a nasty scar like mine on your face, do ya?” and he pulled at his cheek, winking at him, “Gotta be pretty for the Royal Guard and all.”

Goku couldn’t help but laugh at that through the breathing mask.

Bardock smiled at him. “I’m glad to know you haven’t lost that fighting spirit, but take it easy, okay? And for goodness sake call me when you get a chance! I know you probably really wanna be at that party, but I guess it’s just not in the stars. Not this time. I’ll see you soon, hm?”

Goku pouted but nodded and Bardock smiled good naturedly and turned to leave, but before he did, he turned back and said with another proud, but different smile, “Oh, yeah, it’s official. Raditz is a father, just last night. It’s a boy. They named him Gere-dock.”

Goku’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

“I’m kidding,” Bardock laughed, and before Goku could wonder if he was kidding about the whole thing or not, Bardock added, “They named him Radom. Raditz has been trying to get a hold of you, too, you know. You should call him when you get out of here. I’m sure he’d like to see you,” and with that he left.

Goku almost immediately began to weep. He didn’t know why, really. Emotions, maybe, too many of them to count, and too many of them to decipher. Then finally, he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love a crying Goku. He never cries in the show and I always found that kind of odd. He's so kind and caring amd loving and blah blah blah, so why shouldn't he have a good cry? He's emotionally stunted in that way the same way Vegeta is emotionally stunted by his anger and can't do anything but be a dick. So Vegeta can cry but he can't? I call bullshit! So, I like to play with those little traits. Also, the pole thing, yeah I thought that would be fun, huh? Thank you all so much for reading :)


	16. 16

Chapter 16

“‘You fucking asshole where are you?!! You never called me! Not once!’” that’s what the first text from Raditz said. Pictures of the baby, and then slews of curse words, and then proclamations of joy finally followed. Then came the same angry comments of how unavailable and uncaring and selfish Raditz thinks he is, followed again by, “‘Call me, idiot!’”

Goku smiled to himself as he read over them all on his way back to his room. It was the next morning, and he was changed into the clothing dropped off for him by whoever it is that does that and he was going first thing to check his schedule to see what type of time frame he has to go and visit his nephew and his brother. He entered his room and to his surprise he saw that his shift for today was crossed off with a red pen and beside it, hand written by whomever has been in his room to cross it off in the first place, it said in bold red letters, “Excused Absence by order of Prince Vegeta. Reason: Birth in Immediate Family.”

Goku was stunned but he smiled and called his brother as he hurried to get changed. Raditz screamed at him for a full two minutes before he finally calmed down enough to tell him that everyone is at Dr. Buro’s house and that he better come _now_.

Goku was practically soaring through the castle with a stupid smile on his face as he headed outside, once he found the exit he took to the air and whisked away, more than excited to spend the day with his family.

By the time he got to Dr. Buro’s the servants were awaiting his arrival and took him quickly to the room where Minala was currently being catered to and fawned over by many people.

Raditz, who immediately noticed his entrance, stood from where he was kneeling by Minala’s side and cried, “GOKU!” and his voice demanded all his attention and his praise. “Come! Quickly! Look! How perfect he is! I have no other words!” he proclaimed proudly, beckoning his younger brother.

Goku came closer, strangely emotive, and he smiled down at the precious baby boy, and Minala smiled up at him with a face Goku was unfamiliar with. The face of motherhood.

“Goku!” she huffed, “I’m so glad you’re here! Now Raditz can focus on _me and the baby_ ,” she laughed as she joked, and so did everyone else.

“Hey!” Raditz argued playfully, but Minala immediately and enthusiastically, though exhaustedly, told him she was kidding, and they kissed as everyone laughed and “Aww’d”.

Goku smiled at them and was so touched by the sight of the baby, and the joyful passion of everyone present, even those he didn’t know, that he couldn’t speak for some time as he became engrossed with simply watching and listening. Raditz gushed over his son and over his lover, grinning down at the baby and at Minala for some time, and Goku simply listened as people began to introduce themselves, mostly cousins and friends, and talk about this wonderful new birth.

After a little while Goku felt more at ease than he could remember feeling in a while. He looked up, though, and noticed that Raditz has gone off somewhere, but that his father has arrived, as well as Dr. Buro, and the two of them were standing back speaking gently and proudly together.

Goku stood, not knowing what else to do with a newborn other than stare at it, and he went over to his father and Dr. Buro and told them both congratulations. Bardock beamed a smile at his son and Geredi nodded and thanked him.

“Say, Goku,” Geredi’s eyes pierced into his, “I have a few questions for you! About your trip, you know! Perhaps we can discuss it later, yes? I’d like that very much!”

Goku nodded and said, “Sure!” but he was feeling a little tongue tied and didn’t know what else to say. Now that he’s come and he’s seen his brother and the baby, he didn’t know what else to do with himself, and, looking back over at Minala with all of her friends and caretakers, he didn’t feel like he needed to be here, but he would stay, if that’s what Raditz really wants.

Bardock gripped his shoulder and squeezed gently, offering, “Come, let’s give them a little space,” and he nodded at Geredi and the two of them left.

They wandered the halls for some time, not really knowing where they were going, and both caught up in many thoughts.

Finally, Goku choked out, “He looks like Raditz! All that hair!” and he laughed gently, smiling for no reason, but feeling strange.

“Yeah! Yeah, he does,” Bardock smiled back in agreement, “I wonder where Raditz went off to, anyways? Let’s find him. Unless…”

“Unless what?” Goku asked.

“Well, I don’t know,” Bardock answered, “You looked a little… overwhelmed back there. I thought maybe you needed some time to yourself for a minute?”

“No! It’s…” Goku hesitated, thinking that yes, he would like some alone time eventually, but he decided against saying anything about himself other than, “I’m fine!”

“Okay,” Bardock laughed, but he was always good at finding the right words to say, and so he chose, “Babies are a lot of work,” and he sighed, “Raditz is going to have his hands full. Especially if Radom turns out to be anything like he was. Man, he was a hellion.” Goku laughed as they walked on together. Bardock told him, “You were the good one. I mean, you weren’t perfect, but all things considered I got pretty lucky, with both of you. I couldn’t be prouder of my sons.”

“Aww,” Goku looked away, “You’re supposed to say things like that.”

“No,” Bardock shook his head, “If I was disappointed in you, I’d let you know. I’d have to. That’s the real job, you know. The rest of it is the easy part. The discipline is what sucks.”

Goku grinned at him and felt better just from being around him, but he didn’t know what else to say.

Bardock allowed the silence to go on for some time as they walked aimlessly, and just when he was going to speak, their short-lived father-son heart to heart was interrupted.

“Hey!” they turned to the sound of Raditz’s voice and saw him, Prince Vegeta, and General Nappa coming around the corner. Raditz said, “You two are gonna get lost if you go wondering around in this place! There aren’t any guards to point you in the right direction, here.” His good mood was contagious and Goku smiled at his joke even though he really just wanted to hide from Vegeta. Either that or kiss him, or talk, or fight! Something- he didn’t know what he was feeling but did know that he wasn’t expecting to see him here.

Goku and Bardock bowed to the Prince, and Bardock replied to Raditz upon standing back up, “Ahh, I bet we could find our way back, as long as someone started cooking!” he smirked at Goku, “Isn’t that right, son?” and he slapped him sportingly on the back, “You can smell food from a mile away, huh?”

Goku blushed as Vegeta stood there and listened, again, to his father ragging on him. Luckily for him, Raditz intercepted the conversation.

“Yes, well, in any case, I’m glad I found you. Father, I have some news. I almost can’t believe it.” He turned to Prince Vegeta and looked at him for a second before he turned back and explained, “Prince Vegeta is…” He hesitated. “Well, he’s…”

Vegeta smirked and said, “Raditz, while we’re still alive, spit it out already.”

Raditz smiled and said, “He’s going to pay for my wedding to Minala!”

Bardock replied, taken aback, “Your Highness! I… Thank you! That’s not necessary, though, I assure you it is certainly appreciated.”

“Nonsense,” Vegeta argued, “Besides! Tarble all but told you my plan that night at the party before I left for Earth, and I didn’t want Raditz to find out from anyone else! I figured it would be my gift to your family and hers, after all,” he turned to Raditz, “Raditz and I have known each other for a very long time.”

Bardock bowed again, and so did Goku, not knowing what else to do with himself, still, but he was a great deal impressed with what he’d just heard.

Bardock replied, “Thank you very much. I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

“Enough,” Vegeta said curtly, “It’s nothing to be concerned over. Radom will be well-looked after.”

Bardock smiled, and said, “I am at your leisure, my Prince, please, if there’s anything you need of me, do not hesitate to ask.”

Vegeta regarded his words but he did not reply, instead he turned to Raditz and Nappa and simply said, “I believe we’ve spent enough of our morning here, Raditz. I must be getting back. Nappa, go and say goodbye to Minala and Geredi for me and meet me back here.”

Nappa nodded and left going swift on his long legs, and Raditz said to Vegeta, “Thank you, again, I…” but a quick look straight into Vegeta’s eyes told him he wanted to hear nothing more about it.

Vegeta then turned back to Goku and Bardock and he said, astutely, “Kakarot, are you well?”

Goku felt as though this was all a dream as he said, “I am, your Highness.” None of this could be real. How kind he’s being. How concerned he’s acting, even if it can’t be seen on his face. What is going on?

“Good,” Vegeta replied and it seemed he wished to say more, but he didn’t.

An awkward silence followed for a few seconds, and no one might have noticed had it not been for Goku and Vegeta’s obvious avoidance of one another’s gaze or lack of will power but clear desire to continue their conversation.

Raditz laughed suddenly, mistaking the situation and he asked his little brother, “Are you sure you’re alright? You’re awfully quiet, little brother! Don’t tell me that hit to your head affected your brain, _again_?” he teased.

Goku laughed off his comment and replied smartly, “I think I’m just surprised, is all! You, a father? What is the world coming to?”

Vegeta smirked at them and said to Bardock, “Is this banter what it’s like to have them back at your home, Bardock?”

“You have no idea,” he smiled, “but then again, you have a brother of your own, so perhaps you do.”

Vegeta replied with a small snicker and he turned to Raditz and said, “I do, and I suppose Raditz and I don’t exactly come by our charming brotherly tendencies honestly, do we?”

“The ragging?” Raditz rolled his eyes, “No, it was much worse in Frieza’s army.”

“It was,” Vegeta nodded as he turned to Bardock, “I believe you’re familiar with that, Bardock. Ah, but I almost forget, Kakarot was in the army, as well. Yet it seems a bit strange to hear him be rude to anybody. Not unless they deserve it,” he turned back to Raditz, and added, “Which explains why he’s so quick to battle with you.”

Raditz laughed and said, “I might be a little guilty and somewhat deserving, but I like to think _I_ taught him how to go about his witty comebacks.”

Bardock chuckled, “What a good use of your brotherhood! I’m sure his Highness has taught Prince Tarble much more practical things.”

Vegeta smirked, while everyone else smiled, and for a moment, things felt normal.

Nappa’s footsteps came pattering back quickly though, and he told the Prince they were ready to leave whenever he was, and Vegeta nodded again to Bardock, congratulated him and Raditz, and then spared a glance and brief nod for Goku, stating his birth given name, before turning to leave altogether.

Once they were out of sight and ears reach, Bardock said, “It’s good to see the Prince in such high spirits!”

Raditz answered, “Yes, well, I think he’s feeling strangely recently. He’s certainly been acting strange, even before he left for Earth. Perhaps he’s thinking about a family of his own. And Goku, you’ll have to tell me all about your trip,” he chuckled, “And about last night! Not that I won’t be hearing about it when I get back!”

Goku could only stare at the spot that Vegeta had just been standing in and refused to participate in such a conversation, but to save some of himself from further ridicule he stuck his tongue out to his older brother in mock immaturity and let his comment slide just this once.

Bardock said, watching their exchange closely, and thinking about many things, “Newborns do bring out some odd emotions even in otherwise emotionless people! I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that were the case, but I _am_ surprised that he would offer to do such a thing. Pay for the wedding?! Raditz?! Do you have any idea-?”

“I know! I haven’t even told her yet!” Raditz shook his head, “He said he came this morning to see that everything went well, which I wasn’t expecting, either! And he said that he already told Dr. Buro, but he couldn’t seem to get a gold of you! No one ever can when they need to,” he complained, but then added, “And Nappa,” he laughed, “Nappa said he’s been keeping this secret from me for some time, as well! That bastard knew! Well, of course Vegeta told him. I mean, _Prince_ Vegeta, told him. I still have to watch that, sometimes.”

Bardock grinned and commented, “Old habits break last. Hmmm, he seemed rather nostalgic. I think you’re right; he’s got something on his mind.”

Raditz rolled his eyes and replied, “Yeah, it’s that I’m aging and so he must be, too! And things are changing,” he looked away deep in thought, “Every day they are changing. Father, I, I hardly know what I’m feeling right now.” He looked at Goku and said, “You just have no idea.”

Goku smiled at him genuinely and said, “I am happy for you, Rad. I’m sorry I was so unavailable.”

“Oh,” Raditz interrupted, truly putting it behind him, “Never mind all of that I was just losing my mind temporarily. Trust me, when you watch a woman go through that,” he shuddered, “It’s terrifying, but incredible, and you can do nothing but watch and you feel so… useless,” he reminisced, “There’s really nothing like it. I know that’s what they all say, but, it’s true.”

Bardock and Goku stayed for some time after that, speaking with Raditz for hours on end about every last detail of the night his baby was born, and then with Minala, when she was awake, and also with her family and their friends, and there were many more friends and family that came and went throughout the day. It was tiring, but there was plenty of good food, and every moment went by so fast, Goku hardly realized that time was passing.

He kept hoping to be able to speak with Dr. Buro about his gravity machine, but he is a busy man, and new grandfather or not, he didn’t have very much time to hang around for deep conversation, although he was in and out of the room quite often. Goku figured he would let things calm down here and, hell, maybe he’ll try things Vegeta’s way and ask to sit down to dinner with the man, but that sounded way out of his comfort zone, so it would just have to wait.

The next thing he knew it was nighttime and Goku was exhausted from all the conversation and although he was happy to have been able to spend some time with his family, he knew he needed to head back to the castle and get some sleep. He said goodbye to his brother and his father and headed back.

The next few days went by without much news. Of course, people talked about the night of the party and Goku’s bravery, and stupidity, in going up against Prince Vegeta, and they said these things not only to his face but behind his back, as well, but that didn’t bother him. Why should he let it? They remarked on how gnarly that cut had been on his face and how bloody and savage he looked when he took the mask off. They also talked about Vegeta, how sexy he was when he flung that cloak off and how jaw-dropping his performance had been. Goku listened to their account of the show but he kept his own opinions to himself.

Others tried as hard as they could to get him to tell them about his trip to Earth, which wasn’t a secret anymore in the least. They asked him what he heard and what he did and what he knew about what Prince Vegeta was doing there, and they pressured and prodded and poked, but Goku never budged.

He didn’t tell a soul about his secret sexual rendezvous with Vegeta, or about Vegeta’s planned elopement, or about anything at all. He just smiled and said, “It was business as far as I could tell. We ate a lot of good food, though… Haha, I’ve been to Earth before, it’s nothing new to me!” Try as they might he had nothing more to say.

After a week people stopped asking him about it, but that didn’t mean he stopped thinking about it. In fact, he kind of missed being there with Vegeta and Leno and Emeri. He’d gotten so used to bending to Vegeta’s every whim (pun intended) that he missed being around him now, and he feels like he doesn’t know what to do with himself anymore.

It isn’t that he never sees Vegeta, no, he is still in his guard, and Vegeta has been around in passing, but he’s been ignoring him just like before, and he has not called him to work for him directly ever since they got back. It bothered Goku and he didn’t want to admit it, but he knew damn well why.

He is in pain, and for once it isn’t physical. He’s never known heartbreak before now, and he didn’t know how to deal with it, and he felt silly for even admitting that he was lovesick to begin with. One of the two people he wanted to talk to about his problem, Raditz, his _kin_ , would undoubtably throw a big _“I told you specifically not to do exactly what you did so deal with it”_ in his face and that would be that. The other person he wanted to tell, his father, well, he didn’t know what he would say, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to have that conversation.

Goku tried his best to be positive in all things, to not care, or get caught up in his emotions, but he found he was spending every free moment he had trying to put the pieces together and understand not only what had happened, down to every last detail, but why, and why it hurt so fucking much. He’s tried to rationalize things on his side, and even on Vegeta’s, but no matter what he tells himself he’s still pissed. It still hurts. And he still loves him.

How? How can he love him? He doesn’t even _know_ him! But something inside of him was refusing that argument, as well as every other explanation, and nothing was helping.

So, in his free time he trained, and when he wasn’t training, he was working, which was mostly training, and when he wasn’t working, he was eating, which he needed to do because of all the training. He slept when his mind would let him.

After three weeks of not being scheduled to work directly for Vegeta, and with Raditz back at the castle again along with his father, Goku had finally decided to make some plans to get some things off his chest and so, he mustered up the courage to tell his father he wished for his advice. He didn’t tell him directly then, but he wanted to hear how he would go about approaching Dr. Buro. At least then he’d feel like he was doing something productive, instead of pining when he wasn’t being productive. They planned to meet for dinner outside of the castle on a day they conveniently had off together.

When the night came a few days later, they met at a random, not so fancy joint that was low lit with plenty of music and dancing to distract anyone from listening in on their conversation or paying any particular attention to them, and they ordered booze and appetizers and plenty of food to chow down on while they visited. The beginning of their dinner went by completely normal. They drank and caught up on daily things, talked about Raditz and the baby and about how work was going. It was completely casual and normal, but Bardock, tactful as he may be, wasn’t one to pretend like they didn’t have other things to discuss.

“So!” he let out a breath of appreciation as he set down his beer, “I’ve been dying to know! Tell me what’s going on, son!” He offered the conversation change nonchalantly as they continued to eat, “What’s this big thing you wanted some advice about? It’s so seldom either of my sons ask for my opinion on anything anymore!”

Goku was timid to start but he laughed at his father’s well delivered attempt at humor and Bardock was watching as he fidgeted the tiniest bit. Eventually Goku came out with, “Well, Dr. Buro said he wanted to talk to me about the machine and I want to talk to him, but I don’t know how to…”

“Start the conversation?” Bardock nodded, ignoring the tension in his son’s shoulders, “I see. He’s a busy, important man and you think you’d be bothering him, yeah?”

“Well, yeah,” Goku shrugged a little and went back to eating, “I mean, he did say he wanted to talk but maybe he was just being polite.”

“Hmm,” Bardock thought for a moment, “I don’t think so. I think he wants to know about what happened, like he said. If it were me,” he smiled in reminiscence, “I’d want to have some feedback on my work. Scientists aren’t usually prideful, and if they are,” he pointed his fork at him, “Then they’re not any good at what they do. Or they’re too good,” He hummed in thought and took another bite, “But you know what you gotta do with a man like him, right?”

Goku shook his head, and gave him a wide-eyed blank stare, eager for his wisdom.

Bardock chuckled, “You gotta give him some incentive to speak with you! Tell him you’ve got something interesting to say! You do, don’t you?”

“Yeah, sort of…” Goku answered meekly.

“Well, force your hand!” Bardock smiled cheekily, “But, if you’re that nervous to seek him out alone, maybe you should bring Prince Vegeta with you, hmm? I’m sure the Prince has some thoughts on the subject, doesn’t he? And Dr. Buro wouldn’t turn down the chance to talk to him! How’d that go, by the way? Did he love it?”

Goku laughed nervously at his dad’s perfect junction into asking him about Earth, and although Goku knew it was going to happen, he wasn’t as prepared as he thought he was to answer questions. He took a sip of his drink and answered, trying to ward off his discomfort, “It went well, I guess. Actually, I kind of… messed up the Briefs’ machine while we were there, but- Wait,” he paused and then asked, “What do you mean, ‘did he love it’?”

“Hm?” Bardock replied smoothly, “I mean, did he love the Earth? And the machine? I assumed you were going to the Briefs’ house before you left, remember? That way you could test their machine and tell us what you think of it,” then he laughed, “What do you mean you messed up their machine? Were they mad? What did the Prince say?” he wondered, feigning innocence, and chuckling even still.

“Oh,” Goku licked his lips as he thought hard on what to say that wasn’t incriminating. Why did he think he might have meant anything else?! Man! He felt like he was losing it. Trying to keep information to himself was as difficult as remembering who knows what. “Well, he… They weren’t mad,” he rubbed the back of his head, a tell-tale sign of his nervousness, as he added, “Prince Vegeta was… uh, he liked it. The machine, I mean.” Goku mentally berated himself for the unwarranted blush he was certain was tinging his features, and he thanked their surroundings for the dim light it provided.

Bardock nodded and answered, taking another bite as he added, “I’m not surprised by that. I mean, why else would Prince Vegeta spend so much time on Earth if he weren’t there to check out the finest that they have to offer? That’s definitely going to be found at the Briefs household, from what I understand.”

Goku sneered and couldn’t hide his disgust at that comment. He darted his eyes to the side as he took another big swig of his beverage and decided that he has nothing else to say as he tried to drown his emotions.

“Whoa…” Bardock watched him intently, and he couldn’t help the small smirk as he noticed his son behave rather childishly considering his age. Either that or… “Did I just trigger some sort of bad memory or something? What’s wrong?”

Goku finished drinking and said, “Nothing! I… well…”

“Nothing, huh? Sure… You can tell me anything, you know…” he reassured his son softly.

Goku felt his hands trembling and he put them on his lap to hide it, still avoiding his father’s intense and seemingly knowing gaze.

Bardock knew, of course. Oh, he knew. It was hard sometimes, hiding the fact that he could read minds, especially from his sons, but he’s been doing it for so long. He never planned on telling them, not if he could help it. He didn’t want to make them uncomfortable, and his secret has been well kept considering only one other person knows of it. The King.

That’s why Bardock is a part of the King’s advisors, after all. That’s why the Saiyans are even still alive, because of the powers he received from Planet Kanassa all those years ago. The King likes having someone around who can interrogate at will without ever getting anyone to vocally admit a damn thing. That, and the fact that Bardock could see glimpses into the future. That was a trickier thing, though, and Bardock seldom leaned upon what he saw because it was too difficult to discern, and he certainly didn’t want to cause any rippling effects, so he kept most of his visions to himself, and most of the time, when reading minds, he kept that to himself, too. King Vegeta didn’t want to know any dirty details, hell, neither did he, and so it worked out for both of them.

He never pried though, only taking information when he thought it was necessary, but sometimes he couldn’t help it. The thoughts just sort of jumped into his brain.

This, though, he’d had his suspicions long before Goku left for Earth. He noticed his attentions on Prince Vegeta early, and he wasn’t surprised by his infatuation in the least, but after that strange moment in the halls of Dr. Buro’s house, Bardock knew beyond a doubt that something had happened between the two of them on a more intimate level. Raditz might have been distracted, but shit, he would have known even if he _couldn’t_ read minds!

Still, it made it difficult to sit back and watch as Goku struggled with this, and he hoped he would be able to get his son to open up before he bottled it in so much that it came out in a way that he might regret.

He couldn’t help wondering, though, how many others are aware of Goku’s love-crush on the handsome Prince? Raditz knew Goku was interested in him before they left for Earth, so much so that he brought it to Bardock’s attention in his irritation at the idea of his brother being marked by people of the castle as an easy target, in every sense of the term.

And then there’s Prince Vegeta, and though he’s completely imperceptible to most, he’s still made it evident on more than one occasion that he favors Goku in some way. Or at least that he has him on his mind more than necessary. Bardock would be stupid not to have noticed that he’s brought Kakarot up to almost every resource he has available, claiming to wish to know more about the newest member of his squad, but that’s not all. When Bardock sees him in meetings, he’s noticed him staring in his direction, and he’s heard his thoughts, his reminiscing of his likeness to Kakarot. Even Prince Tarble thinks there’s something more to Vegeta’s lingering gaze, although he would never bring it up in public lest he out his brother for paying special attention to a lower classman, or for having feelings period.

Still, is Goku even more obvious now that they’ve apparently consummated their attraction to one another?

“Kakarot…” Bardock offered, realizing that he hasn’t gotten a response and calling him by his true name, knowing he would get a rise out of him by doing so.

“Don’t…” Goku mumbled, then raised his chin, and he admitted, his bottom lip trembling a little bit, “Father, I… I feel so stupid.”

Bardock’s eyes widened a bit as he heard Goku’s thoughts loud and clear, and they were that of someone terribly in love, but he had to remain ignorant, no matter what, and so he laughed and said, “Nonsense! What’s going on with you? Did something happen? On Earth?”

Goku looked at the food in front of him and decided he didn’t want it anymore. He picked his drink up again and took another large gulp before he finally blurted out, “I did exactly what Raditz told me not to do!”

Bardock looked at his son strangely, not expecting that remark, or knowing what he meant by it, and he asked, still carrying a small smirk of mild amusement at his sons flailing emotions, “What did he tell you not to do?” _‘Damn, Raditz! You got to the punchline before me! I guess that’s the foresight of an older brother,’_ he thought.

Goku looked around them nervously before he looked back at his father, and, in spite of his embarrassment, he admitted, “Something… stupid…”

“What?” Bardock egged him on, “How bad could it be?”

Goku shook his head, “Not **bad** … I mean!” he groaned and blushed deeper. “Prince Vegeta and I…” he licked his lips.

“Yeah?” Bardock urged, sort of enjoying torturing his son like this.

“I…” Goku lifted his eyes to him in his guilt, “Don’t make me say it…”

Bardock laughed at that and took the hint that Goku assumed he ought to have figured it out by now. He put him out of his misery and sighed and said, “Oh, you didn’t?” Sarcastically, still laughing, he clarified, “You mean to tell me that you and,” he looked around before leaning closer to whisper, “Prince Vegeta?”

Goku couldn’t even respond he was so upset. Then he said, flustered, “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this!”

“Hey! It’s okay!” he laughed, “I mean, I don’t blame you!” He went to take another bite as he asked, “So, what’s the problem?”

Goku balked, slightly less irritated now that he’s gotten it off his chest and he said, “What’s the problem?!” He looked down at his plates as he exclaimed, “The problem is! He’s! I! I don’t know!” Goku’s brows furrowed as he tried to explain himself and he looked so lost sitting there, unable to even take a bite.

“I see,” Bardock grinned, “You like him. So, how does he feel?”

“ _That’s_ the problem!” Goku growled out painfully in a whisper. “He’s…”

“He’s what?” Bardock asked coyly.

“He’s not interested…” Goku finally stated, his shoulder dropping in the defeat of his admission.

“You sure?” Bardock smiled at him, not liking seeing his son like this, but amused, nevertheless.

Goku rolled his eyes again and despite the manifold amount of relief he felt heaved off of him at his admittance, he couldn’t tell his father the whole of the truth.

Bardock learned in that moment exactly why his son was so upset, as sure as he watched his son explaining to himself internally how _‘Yes, I’m sure, because Prince Vegeta is going to be betrothed to Bulma Briefs,_ ’ and he felt bad. Bad because he didn’t know that part was settled, sure he knew it might be happening, but he rather assumed the fiery Prince wasn’t going to go through with it, and worse because there was nothing he could do to console his son at this point in time.

He thought hard and decided he couldn’t think long enough, so played his part and pretended there was hope when there was none, and he said, lightheartedly, “Child, my goodness he must have been some good lay for you to be this upset!”

“Father!” Goku blushed and stared at him in disbelief.

“What?!” he laughed, “Take it easy, won’t you? I’m sure you’re overreacting! Besides, that’s the only reason I can think of that would make you behave this way! That, and I wanted to see if I could make you even more uncomfortable!”

Goku gave him a sour look but he couldn’t help a small smile.

Bardock snickered, “So you really do have feelings for him, huh? I never thought I’d see the day!”

“Neither did I,” Goku sighed.

“You’re serious?” Bardock surveyed him, gauging just how real Goku’s feelings are for him.

Goku pouted and little, placing his head in one of his hands, before he looked at his father and nodded.

“Wow,” Bardock shook his head, “I should have known it would take a Prince to make you fall.”

“ _Dad!_ ” Goku growled.

“Laugh a little! Please!” Bardock teased, “Tell me, why do you think he’s so severe on not having you?”

Goku did laugh a little bit at himself and he sighed and confessed, “He won’t even see me, now. Hasn’t even had me serve him directly since we got back.”

“But you’re still in the guard?” Bardock offered.

“That doesn’t help,” he moped.

Bardock shrugged, “It doesn’t hurt, either. Come now, eat some more! I won’t pay for a meal half eaten, that’s my rule, you know that. And cheer up! Time changes things. Nothing is for certain. And if you’re as in love as you claim to be, perhaps there’s something more to his side of the situation that you don’t know. Besides,” he took a bite, “Now you have an excuse to go and see him. Dr. Buro’s waiting,” he winked and hoped that perhaps there is something more to the circumstances than either of them knew. Bardock could only wonder, but he didn’t lay his trusts in trite hopes and he figured Goku would get over him eventually if things didn’t work out.

Goku smiled behind a pout but picked up his fork and stuck it into some of his dinner before bringing it to his mouth to eat. He argued to himself that he knew exactly what entailed “his side of the situation” but he didn’t say anything more about it.

Bardock smiled at seeing him at least try to eat and try to move on, and then changed the subject entirely. They both got a good buzz for old times sakes, and when Goku left, he was smiling and cheery just like he normally is.

Goku woke up the next day feeling a little better for having discussed his problems with his father the night before. Embarrassed, but better, nonetheless. He figured that he was right. Time changes things, and he hoped that it would change things before too long, but in the meantime, he would take his father’s advice. His plan was to grab Vegeta by the balls, so to speak, and make him listen to him, even if all he was going to ask him to do was go see Dr. Buro. He was certain that if he brought up the gravity machine Vegeta would be interested.

So, he waited a few days for the next schedule to come out and look for if Vegeta had put him on it to serve him or not, and when he saw that he didn’t, he decided to interrupt his Royal Highness with a surprise rendezvous as soon as his first day off.

It took a week, but it wasn’t that difficult to find him. All he had to do was look at someone’s schedule who was serving the Prince, find out when he was getting off, and then use his scouter to mark the Prince’s location, and so that’s exactly what he did. He threw on his armor as though he was on duty and then he stalked him, timing it so that he would only have to linger for a short period of time, and then, when the Prince dismissed everyone and took off in a direction of his own, Goku moved to intercept him.

He only followed him for a few seconds, before he called out earnestly, “Your Highness,” and he felt his voice quaking as nervousness was becoming him all over again.

“Kakarot!” Vegeta exclaimed, turning around swiftly to meet his eyes, and surprise was evident on his face as his brows furrowed slightly. Goku stopped just as he did and he found himself right back where he’d started, in unknown territory.

Vegeta looked him up and down quickly and let out a short huff of air, almost in a laughing manner and he smiled at him, _smiled_ , for just a second, but then he regained his normally serious composure, lifted his head and turned his back to him, demanding, “What are you doing?! Following me like this? _Again_ ,” and he kept walking briskly.

Goku could die believing he heard a smirk still on his lips and he spoke, and he spared a small smirk of his own as he answered, following him, “I have something to say. A request, your Highness, and I think you’ll find it important.”

“Oh?” Vegeta turned and stopped at that, having composed himself, but his eyes were revealing, in fact they were speaking, no, they were screaming. Those bedroom eyes of his bore into Goku’s, and his lips parted sensually, before he remarked, “Important, you say?” and he looked him up and down again, no doubt wondering about Goku’s attire and the true meaning behind his sudden, unprovoked attention.

Goku approached, being beckoned by his smoldering gaze and he was returning the look with an acute passionate glare of his own that he couldn’t help, and Vegeta couldn’t look away any more than Goku, and as much as the Prince desired to step back from him, or stop his predatory stalking, he couldn’t. His pride wouldn’t let him.

“Yes,” was all Goku replied.

They were having two different conversations right now, one with their lips, that wasn’t moving very fast or going very well, and another with their bodies, and that was moving along rapidly, much easier to follow, and more concisely understood.

“Fine, Kakarot, since you insist,” Vegeta breathed, “Follow me.” He turned on his heels and led him down the hallway.

This time they weren’t completely alone as they travelled, but whether anyone who passed them by thought much of it wasn’t certain, for all they knew all they saw was the Prince being escorted by a man of his own guard. It didn’t seem suspicious.

When Vegeta finally stopped to open a door to another unknown room, he did the same as last time, and destroyed the cameras in the room, just as Goku was shutting and locking the door behind them. Goku didn’t know why he locked it, but he did. When Goku turned back around, determined to speak, although he didn’t know how he would begin, Vegeta was on him all over again. His lips locked to Goku’s as his hands flew up to hook around his neck and onto his broad shoulders.

Goku moaned into his kiss and pushed him backwards into the room, his hands immediately gripping his ass and clutching onto his sides, forcing his body close. Whatever he’d wanted to say went completely by the wayside.

Fuck. _Everything_. Else.

He hoisted the Prince onto a very convenient desk by his hips as they kissed. Vegeta then leaned away to pull off his boots and he watched Goku throw off his armor and his shirt and then they locked lips again.

Vegeta scoot closer to the edge and brought Goku’s hips closer, bucking into them and unwinding his tail from his waist as it tremored. Goku growled, spurred on by him, and he let his tail unwind as well, and leaned over, pushing Vegeta’s back onto the table where he pinned his wrists down at the side of his head. He ground into him, all the while moving his mouth downward to suck on his neck, threatening to leave a mark. Vegeta moaned and breathed heavily, wrapping his legs around Goku’s waist, bringing that friction as close as possible.

“Kakarot,” Vegeta sighed in his need and looked over at the unfamiliar yet not unwelcome sensation of Kakarot winding their tails together.

Goku let up on his hold of Vegeta’s wrists and pulled his mouth away as Vegeta unhooked his legs from around him and sat up again. He removed his scouter and tossed it to the side as Goku worked to undo the Prince’s armor as fast as he could, and then slung it to the side, disregarding any noise it made. Vegeta took off Goku’s scouter as well and kissed him again, tossing the object somewhere behind him as Goku made short work of his shirt.

“Vegeta…” Goku groaned, obsessed with his eyes and his face and everything about him. He didn’t have enough time to think about anything other than how much he wanted him. He was only considering where this is going next. What to do to please him. How amazing it feels to be with him.

Vegeta smirked as he moved his hands down to slide Goku’s pants and briefs off his ass, freeing his swollen cock, while letting the clothing rest on his strong thighs. He immediately grasped his dick and pumped it as they continued making out with infectious passion.

Vegeta stood up off of the table after a second and Goku placed his hand directly on the Prince’s hard dick, rubbing it through the thick cloth before he worked to return the favor and pull down his pants and underwear as well.

Vegeta took over the job of removing his pants and knelt between his legs as he was working everything off. He couldn’t afford to get his clothing stained but he sure as hell wasn’t going to forgo this opportunity. After he was done, he looked up at Goku from his place on his knees and reached up, grabbing onto his length, he placed it in his mouth, licking up where he was already leaking for him and then sucking hard, pulling a good part of his member into his mouth. He didn’t want to waste any time. He played gently with his balls as Goku’s tail clung to his tighter, but he didn’t mind, the sensations were spurring him onward as rare and unfamiliar as they may be. He was getting used to it; Goku’s blatant lack of understanding for protocol on how someone is allowed to touch a Prince. He didn’t intend on correcting him, either. Hell, if he were going to do things the way they were supposed to be done, it would be Goku on his knees with his dick in his mouth and not the other way around.

“Damn,” Goku moaned quietly, grasping the table for balance with one hand and running his other through the Prince’s hair.

Vegeta sucked on his cock with rough and sloppy movements for just a few seconds before standing back up with a smirk and hopping back up onto the table. He put his arm around Goku’s neck and pulled him down with him, luring him into another kiss as he spread his legs and invited Goku inside of them.

“Ve.. geta…” Goku whispered gently, looking into his eyes, and grasping both of their cocks with one of his hands, pumping them in unison.

“Do it already, we don’t have much time,” Vegeta gasped, going back to kissing him. He let his tail ruffle down Goku’s as he urged him. He’d have to figure out what sort of lapse in judgement came over him later.

Goku grunted into his mouth as he placed the tip of his dick at his entrance. He was going to cum quick, he knew it. He pressed forward while Vegeta helped. Vegeta bit down on his lip in their kiss and he tried not to cry out in desperation as the tip violated him so wonderfully, but soft whimpers left his mouth nonetheless as he ignored the pain. Pleasure followed and he tossed his head back while trying to catch his breath.

Goku was panting hotly into his neck as he pushed forward and Vegeta was clutching him for all that he has as he tried not to lose _all_ of his self-control.

“Fuck!” Goku licked his neck. The pressure of being inside of him like this was threatening to make him burst. “Is this- are you-?” he tried to ask, afraid he might hurt him, and feeling himself beginning to sweat as he pulled away and then pushed back inside.

“Yes! Fuck! Kakarot, shh!” Vegeta groaned, finding and clutching his face and bringing it back to his so they could kiss again and mute their otherwise very obvious lovemaking. The table was creaking underneath their weight.

Goku hummed quietly and began fucking him with reckless abandon from that moment on, reveling in the sensation of being inside of him, along with his scent, his taste, his sounds. It was all just too perfect. Goku pulled back to look at himself going in and out of Vegeta’s tight body and then he looked back up and saw drool leaving the side of Vegeta’s mouth against his accord as he tried so hard to keep quiet. They weren’t going to last long. This was too much, all at once. Goku kept thrusting harder and Vegeta kept meeting his every movement, his brows turning from his normal irritated look to lucid pleasure, and his breath hitched every time Goku filled him. Goku grabbed a hold of his dick and twisted as he pulled, then again, then again, as he threw his body into Vegeta’s, hoping the table would survive. He wanted to make him cum. He needed to make him cum.

Fuck he’s about to cum.

“Uhn!” Vegeta warned, throwing a hand up to his lips to remind himself to remain quiet. He sputtered and came shooting up into Goku’s chest. That was all it took for Goku to follow, and he came even harder than he’d anticipated.

He pulled away, so satisfied his legs were shaking, and he helped Vegeta sit up and brought him in for a kiss, feeling up his moistened abs and glistening chest, until he reached his jawline, and then he held Vegeta’s face in his hands as they kissed tenderly for another few moments.

Vegeta pulled back after a few moments and sighed, unfurling their tails. Then he smirked at Kakarot and said, “We have to put ourselves back together. Hurry.”

Goku stepped away so he could get up and looked down at himself and wondered how that was even possible. The evidence of their actions was all over him and he smiled down at it just as he wondered how he’d even let that happen, and so quickly, too.

Vegeta, who had moved to grab his armor, and was already pulling his shirt back on and picking up his pants to do the same, noticed Kakarot’s hesitation. He smirked at him, pulled his underwear apart from his pants, wiped Goku down and then burned them up with his ki. Goku couldn’t help but laugh at that, pull his pants up over himself, and try to follow suit hurriedly, but he was still shaking a little with the buzz of their afterglow.

Once they were both dressed, scouters on, and the room was put back to semi-normal order, Vegeta ran a hand through his hair and said wistfully, “Did you actually have something to tell me?”

Goku grinned at him and said, “Yeah,” but he felt stupid for letting himself be so overcome so easily by him, even though in that moment he felt alive. Did Vegeta honestly think he was just trying to get laid? If he had known that’s all it was going to take, he would have tried coming to see him sooner!

Vegeta crossed his arms and asked, “Well, what is it?” and he was becoming, again, as reclusive as ever.

Goku explained, “Dr. Buro was asking me to talk to him about the Gravity Machine the last time I was there, but I haven’t had the chance to discuss it with him and I thought you might want to go… with me.”

“Oh,” Vegeta looked surprised, and distracted, but then he became serious and said, “Yes, of course. I’ll set it up soon. Now,” he began heading for the door, “I have to go.”

“Vegeta,” Goku whispered, reaching out and grabbing him by the arm.

Vegeta looked down at his hand, again surprised, and as their eyes met, there was nothing in them that were telling, anymore. Goku’s heart clenched and his vision seemed to blur.

The Prince murmured, “Later.”

Goku nodded, but he didn’t want to talk to him anymore, after all, and he let his arm go and watched him unlock the door and leave. Goku followed him out quickly, to not make it seem like they _weren’t_ supposed to be alone together, and they went their separate ways.

Goku worked the rest of his schedule like normal and by the time another week went by he started to believe that he’d messed up again and that the Prince didn’t have any intention of following through. He was in better spirits after having gotten laid and hoping that something would come of their brief conversation, but he also felt like he was in a worse place with Vegeta than before because of it, at least, in his own mind.

Zuko and Rictor noticed a bit of a change in him from his first week of working until now and they even asked Goku what was wrong, but Goku told them he was just still adjusting to life at the castle. They weren’t exactly buying that line, but instead of trying to pry information out of him they insisted that Goku get a night off, but not just any old night, no, they planned to party.

He wasn’t interested in going along with their plans, but apparently this “night out” that they were talking about is something the men and women of the guard do once a month or so, and since Goku hasn’t been around and hasn’t had a chance to _really_ get to know them or participate in anything like this, they insisted that if he didn’t come it would be considered rude, so he gave in to their peer pressuring and said okay. They were elated, and they made him meet them at the front gates late that night.

He met them, not surprised to find that Halise was with them as well, and they headed off into one of the surrounding cities. Goku figured this was exactly what he needed and began to get excited about the idea of spending some time exploring for once like he had initially intended, but he wasn’t expecting what he was in for, that much was certain.

Once they finally landed in the middle of a busy strip, the place they took him was hidden from public and practically underground, with the initial entrance being barely noticeable. No one was even there to say that it was open and no music could be heard from the outside, but once they walked through the front doors, they had to go through another set of doors, and then head down some stairs. About halfway down Goku started to hear some noise and feel base from the music playing. They turned a corner at the end of the stairs and there were two men standing there, asking them who they were. One of them recognized Rictor after a moment, though, and greeted him like an old friend, but still they made them all show something proving that they worked at the castle for them to even be let inside. He showed his pay card, like the others, and they let him in without question.

Goku was awed by the sight in front of him once he walked through the gates and yet another door. There were so many Saiyans there it might have been hot if not for the high ceilings and the vents in them allowing either air in or out. The music was loud but not unpleasantly so to the point to where you couldn’t hear anyone speak, and at first glance Goku recognized several people walking around drinking, dancing, and playing games.

“This way,” Zuko told them, motioning to the right, and Goku followed distracted by the lights, the bass, the music, and the unfamiliar territory in general.

Before he knew it, they came across what looked to be one of many lounge areas and, just as promised, a lot of their squad was there. They welcomed him with a cheer, expressing their surprise at seeing him but not any disdain, and asked him what he was drinking, before simply handing him a beer and telling him to sit down and join them.

It was overwhelming, watching all of them smiling and joking as opposed to how serious they normally are, but it was nice, and Goku tried his best to catch on to what was being talked about, even though he felt _very_ late to the party. They all knew each other so well, and were poking fun at one another for this instance or that memory that Goku wasn’t around for, and while Goku smiled he couldn’t keep up with the details of their stories enough to make a comment or feel engaged.

Halise finally said to him, “Not everyone’s here yet,” and he pointed with the hand holding a beer someone had given him, “See, over there, Tarble’s men, and over there,” he pointed somewhere else, “Castle Guards. Only people who work at the castle can come in here. And not just guards,” he took a swig and Goku took one as well, trying to relax and listen closer, “Anyone who works there. Cooks, servants, you name it. I hear Emeri comes here every once in a while, maybe I’ll get lucky and run into her.”

Goku laughed at that.

“I heard that,” Felia remarked eyeing them both as she listened to their conversation and sipped on a cocktail of her own, “Why don’t you set your goals a little lower, Halise, you might just reach one every once in a while.”

“Hey, a guy can dream,” he chuckled, “I did have to stop trying to get your attention, though, didn’t I? So, I gotta go after something!”

She rolled her eyes, but ignored his comment, “If you’re looking to get laid, Goku, I suggest taking your shot without Halise around! All he does is run them off.”

“Yeah?!” Goku laughed, “I didn’t have any intention of that, but I’ll keep it mind.”

“Damn!” Halise acted put off, but he smirked, regardless, and claimed, “I get laid. Plenty.”

They kept up their banter and Goku drank, hiding his smile. Everyone was dressed casually, if not provocatively, and he couldn’t help but see them in a different light and he began to understand that they come here to wind down. As he looked around, he saw that there was fraternizing here that he had never seen between them at the castle and he knew that they weren’t all business, after all.

A few drinks later and before he knew it, everything was normal again and he was buzzed. These are his people, now, aren’t they? He guessed it really hasn’t settled in. They asked him to dance, talked to him about his time in the army, told him about their life before the castle, offered to go get more drinks with him, which they did, introduced him to people he’s mostly just seen in passing, and some he’s never noticed before, and picked on him the way they picked on each other. He was beginning to feel good and loose before long and he was grateful for it. He’d have to thank Zuko and Rictor for inviting him later.

As the night went on and he started to come out of his shell a little bit more he was surprised to find someone unexpected there, and even more surprised that he was calling him over to talk. He told his men he’d be right back as he headed in the other man’s direction, just to be polite. His men hollered after him in mock scrutiny as he went.

“Hey, Leno!”

“Goku,” Leno smirked, “So your crew has decided to finally bring you here, hm? Is this your first time?”

“Yeah,” he smiled, but then asked in curiosity, “What’s this about anyways? So secret? Separating the castle workers from everyone else?”

Leno shrugged, “What, you don’t like it? This is a nice place! And we keep it that way!”

Goku replied, “I can see that.”

Leno eyed him closely and added, “At least any gossip that gets spread around here is only spread through the castle and not outside of it.”

“Ah,” Goku nodded in understanding, “That makes sense, I guess.”

“So, how’s it been since we got back?”

“Good!” he replied quickly, “You?”

Leno made a blasé face and answered, “Yeah, good,” but Goku suddenly got the feeling that he probably shouldn’t have come over to talk to him as Leno began to lean in a little closer. He said, “Let me introduce you to some of _my_ coworkers.” He got some of his friends’ attention and presented them all name by name but Goku wasn’t in any position to remember any of them. It wasn’t until he said, “And you remember Emeri,” and she smiled at him that he came back to himself.

“I didn’t even recognize you!” Goku said, “I mean-”

“Yeah, yeah, it’s fine,” she replied in a sultry manner, but she wasn’t being flirtatious, she was just picking on him, “I know, the Earthling’s clothing and hair styles can do a bit to change a woman, hm?”

He couldn’t help but agree with her and he was grateful for her playful attitude.

Leno turned to Emeri as their circle closed to just the three of them and said with a grin, “I was just asking Goku how things have been since he got back.”

Emeri smirked at Leno but asked Goku, “Yeah! You’ve had some good luck recently with _you know who_ , huh?” and she winked.

“Huh?” Goku replied, but the way she asked it, he knew exactly what she meant.

Leno snickered but intervened, “Come on, let’s go get another drink.”

Goku became nervous and said, trying to stall, and change the topic, “Oh, uh, actually! Emeri! There’s someone I know that you should meet!”

“Yeah?!” She asked, clearly a little buzzed.

“Come on,” Leno insisted, throwing his arm around his shoulder, “You can tell her when we get back.”

Goku was being dragged away mostly against his will, but he didn’t want to be rude, and he didn’t want to start a generally unwarranted fight in the middle of this bar, especially not his first night here, so he went along with it, even as he looked back over his shoulder at Emeri for help he knew he wasn’t going to receive, and then gave a glance over to his friends just to figure out where they were, but they were either not paying him any attention, or they were making obscene gestures to him about ditching them.

Goku shrugged Leno’s arm off of his shoulder as they approached the bar and said, as he rattled his brain to figure out a way to walk away peacefully, “I really gotta get back to the others soon, but it is nice to catch up!” and he turned his body away from him, hoping he’d take the hint.

Leno gave him a sideways glance but turned back to the bartender to order two drinks, and then he said, “We haven’t finished catching up, yet. Come on, have a drink with me. It won’t take long. Besides, we have all night. They’re not going anywhere, I promise.”

The bartender was fast, too fast, and before Goku knew it a drink was in his hand and Leno was clinking glasses with him. Goku took a drink as Leno leaned in again and said, “I saw your performance with the Prince. That was some show.”

“Thanks,” Goku mumbled, uncertain of what else to say to that. Leno was looking at him with a gaze he didn’t understand. He asked him, to ease the tension, “Can we smoke in here?”

Leno shook his head, “No, but I’ll take you to the deck. Follow me.”

They walked through the crowd and through another set of doors, up a wide set of stairs and then out onto the smoker’s area. Not very many Saiyans smoke and so not very many of them were up there, but it felt good to be outside regardless, and even better after he set his drink down and lit up. He offered Leno one and he took it, still staring at him in what Goku thought was an odd way.

Goku was ignoring him, though, but Leno wasn’t taking the hint. He came a little closer and said, “You’ve been busy since we got back? I haven’t really seen you around much. Your dad and brother are hardworking men, too, aren’t they?”

“Mmhmm,” Goku nodded as he smoked, but didn’t say anything more as he picked up his glass.

Leno smiled, pushing the conversation, “You know, I think I’ve finally got you figured out.”

“Yeah?” Goku laughed, taking another sip.

“Yeah, but there is one thing I still want to know,” Leno smirked, taking a drag, “The last time we drank together you had something you wanted desperately to say but you never did.” Goku looked at him then and gave him a half-honest innocent stare. Leno just chuckled as he watched the other Saiyans that were outside head back into the bar.

Goku noticed that they were alone, and he answered, “What are you talking about?” simply.

“A certain someone, and a certain… infatuation of yours,” Leno grinned, taking another sip and then another drag. “Tell me the rumors are true.”

Scratching the back of his head, Goku answered, “I really don’t remember much of that night, and I don’t know what you’re talking about,” and he took another drink.

Leno laughed again, inching closer still, he said, “Come on. You can admit it, _now_ , can’t you?”

After another drag to stall, he replied, “Admit what?”

Leno sniggered, and looked into his eyes as he said confidently, “Everybody knows, or haven’t you heard it yet? How was he? Is he really as good as they say?” The blush that hit him was far too much and he knit his brows together and opened his mouth to dispel any rumor but Leno wasn’t having that, and he interrupted and said, “Not one to talk about your lovers?”

Goku stammered, “Leno, it’s- I-”

Leno came even closer, “No big deal. But now that you’ve gotten that out of your system… how about what we talked about?” and he leaned in to kiss him.

Goku shoved him away, dropping his drink in the process. It shattered, but he only spared a second in thought to it as he said, “No. I’m not interested. And you need to stop buying into the rumors about me, whatever they are.”

Leno smirked, “Denial. You can pretend all you want, but it’s been confirmed.”

Goku frowned even deeper not understanding how a “rumor” can be “confirmed,” but he wasn’t interested in arguing with him about something that none of his business anyways, so he simply took another drag and hoped Leno would wizen up and stop while he was ahead.

Leno _tsk’ed_ and remarked at his silence, “Come on, Goku. Don’t tell me you’re holding out for him. He’s not holding out for you. You haven’t been in the castle very long,” he took another hit while Goku was trying to ignore him, but then he added, “And besides, did you forget about Bulma Briefs?”

Goku’s face reddened at that remark but he continued to ignore him, only wanting to finish his smoke.

Not giving a damn about his personal space or the fact that he’s clearly not interested, Leno argued, “Live a little,” and he grabbed onto his face and went to kiss him again.

It was a knee-jerk reaction, the punch that followed. Goku didn’t want to fight, but he was pissed and so, he did.

“You fucking asshole!” Leno cried, holding his nose.

Goku didn’t even reply he just threw his cigarette to the ground and started walking away.

The next punch wasn’t a kneejerk reaction. Leno asked for it when he went to grab him again. This time, though, it didn’t stop at just one hit. Leno threw a punch of his own which barely grazed Goku’s cheek, and then he tried to throw Goku up against the wall. Goku, in his inebriated state, stumbled and hit the wall as Leno leaned in and shouted, “What, because I’m not a prince I’m not good enough for you?”

“Fuck you!” Goku growled and kneed him in the stomach just as two Saiyans came out from inside the bar to witness their scuffle. Leno threw another punch, but Goku dodged, causing Leno’s fist to hit the wall, which only infuriated him. Their fight went on.

“FIGHT!” The witnesses cried, and Saiyans came pouring out onto the deck as Goku was wrestling Leno off of him.

It didn’t last long, but long enough for plenty of Saiyans to see one of Vegeta’s bodyguards going at it with one of his advisors. Two bouncers burst through the crowds and called for the men to break it up or be thrown out, possibly permanently. They stopped, glaring one another down. It was clear who won the fight by the blood on Leno’s face and Goku’s shirt, and Goku glared at the insolent man but was quick to walk away, heading through the crowd of onlookers and then through the dancefloor, looking for the exit of the building. He could hear everyone asking what happened as he walked on, but he didn’t stop, not even as one of his men ran after him.

“Goku! Did you see anything? There was a fight!” Zuko said, and when Goku didn’t stop but merely turned his head to regard him for a second he balked, “Damn! It was you?! What happened?” He was startled by his serious expression, which seemed so unlike him, but he continued to run after him anyways.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Goku said and Zuko was shaken by how stern he sounded.

“Are you okay?” he wondered, looking at the mess of his clothes.

“Fine,” he answered stiffly, his voice lower than he’d ever heard him speak, “I’m leaving. I’ll see you later. Thanks for the invite. I had a good time.”

Zuko nodded in understanding but watched him leave with a renewed respect for him. There goes the man that literally won his way into the Prince’s guard. He knew then, beyond a doubt, that Goku belonged in the castle amongst them. No one fights like that in a public place like this and leaves without flexing their win unless they truly don’t give a fuck. Like they have nothing to lose. Like they could care less about their own status then everyone else. Zuko turned and went back to the others to find out if anyone knew anything more about what happened as he thought more about the true character of his friend.

No one knew anything except that it was Leno who’d caught the brunt of Goku’s fists, but he had since blasted off and was apparently pissed and in some pain.

The next day Vegeta kept his word and Goku concluded that he has either the very best or the absolute worst timing. A servant woke Goku up at 6:30 in the morning and told him that his Prince expected him in thirty minutes and gave him the location. Luckily for Goku, he had taken a shower the night before, but he still felt a little drunk, not having slept enough to be hungover. But with all the adrenaline from the scuffle with Leno he didn’t think a hangover was going to hit him. He didn’t care, either way. He threw on his uniform and armor after taking care of his normal morning routine business, and left immediately, foregoing breakfast for once. When he met Vegeta he was glad to see him, and smitten by him all the same, but even more than that, he was surprised to learn that they were going alone, which he didn’t expect for once, but he took it as a good sign, or a sign that Vegeta wanted to keep _some things_ secret. They left without much to say. Vegeta wasn’t one for idle chatter, and Goku for once, wasn’t in the mood to even bother.

Dr. Buro seemed to be in good spirits when they arrived at his not so humble home and they headed through his house without much ado. Geredi is nothing if not urgent with his walk and his time, and he told the Prince on their way, “I know you can’t spare Minala for much longer, but I have enjoyed her being home. She looks after my health, yes, she’s good at that, and although I don’t have many vices, sleep is certainly something I lack, and she sees to it that I make some time for that. I’m sure you understand, your Highness, hmm? Yes.”

Vegeta grunted that he agreed but he wasn’t so quick to share personal information about himself, which was just as well, because the doctor didn’t seem bothered by that in the least. He kept on talking as though he wasn’t expecting an actual response and Goku figured that he truly wasn’t.

“So!” Geredi said as they entered his personal office, “Let’s have a seat, shall we? And tell me what you think, and I’ll tell you all that I have discovered, no? Now don’t spare my feelings! Goku! Did you like their machine?”

Goku perked up and said, “Well, I-”

“He wasn’t the one who used it, Geredi,” Vegeta answered for him. He flicked his eyes to Goku for a moment, though, and he added in his amusement, “At least, not after he practically destroyed the controls on it,” he spared a wolf-like smirk at Kakarot and then looked at Geredi and explained, “I did spend some time in it, though.”

Goku couldn’t help but smile at Vegeta and look at Geredi like he was simply happy to be there.

“Ahh,” Geredi smiled, nodding at them both, “Yes, Dr. Briefs did call me about that. Hmm. I think I owe you another apology, Goku! It seems I’ve endangered you twice, now.”

“Is that so?” Vegeta asked, quirking a brow, while Goku could only listen.

“Yes,” the doctor nodded and answered candidly, “He almost died the first night he used our machine, for reasons of my own. And I heard about his incident on Earth. Hmm, if I had thought to call Dr. Briefs about my correction, I might have been able to prevent such a mishap. Ahh, but hindsight would be such a gift! And senzu beans do the trick, don’t they?”

Vegeta eyed Goku for a moment but didn’t respond. Goku only kept sitting up straight and continued to listen, though his eyes met Vegeta’s briefly.

“You say you tested out their model, no?” Geredi asked, watching them, “How far up did you take the one the Earthlings made?”

“40 Gs,” Vegeta replied bluntly.

“40! Oh, well, that’s wonderful!” The doctor was no doubt thinking a million things and Goku could see his mind whirring.

Vegeta said, not regarding how impressive his statistic apparently is, “When Kakarot was in the machine he accidentally brought it up to _100_ times Earth’s gravity.”

“A hundred? Incredible!” Geredi brought his hand up to his chin in thought, “Dr. Briefs didn’t tell me that…”

“As you can see it didn’t kill him,” Vegeta continued in somber urgency.

Goku laughed at the comment, though. He couldn’t help it. Vegeta had said it so carelessly, but when he laughed Vegeta took a moment and smirked, looking away, and it seemed he couldn’t help it, either.

Geredi looked between the two of them and smiled a little as he replied, “I can see that. Yes?”

“Now,” Vegeta began, refocusing, “You said that your machine is much more powerful. I believe you told me you feared it turning into a black hole if were reworked and turned up far enough.”

“Well, I’d like to think it’s _not_ possible, but,” he bobbled his head, “Something close, something similar, yes. I didn’t design it to go quite so high, though, so hopefully we’re all in the clear. Hmm, is something bothering you, your Highness?”

Vegeta shook his head, “No. On the contrary. I want to know if it is ready to be tested again. Haven’t you been working on it?”

The doctor took a moment longer but finally said, “I have made some changes, but I can’t be certain it’s completely safe. No, not yet.”

Vegeta looked a little irritated at hearing that, but he decided it wasn’t worth getting riled up over and he instantly changed the subject and asked Goku to leave the room. Goku did as he was told.

Nearly an hour later Vegeta and Dr. Buro emerged from his office.

Vegeta told him, “Thank you for your time Doctor. I expect a positive report on your findings.”

“You keep me busy, your Highness, and that makes me happy,” he bowed.

Vegeta went to stand next to Goku before he turned to Geredi and said, “I promised you a dinner the last time I was here. Can we mark a date by the end of the day? I’ll have my men call you later?”

Geredi nodded, “It would be my pleasure. And, not to mention, added incentive to get down to business on your suggestions, hmm? Sounds like a solid plan to me.” He nodded again, this time to Goku as well, but his eyes seemed much more thoughtful now than before as he looked at him, if that were even possible.

Vegeta spared a brief goodbye after that and then he and Goku left, with Goku smiling and waving goodbye to the doctor sweetly as well, and they made the long, servant-guided journey out of his home just as quickly and uneventfully as they had arrived.

The moment they began to walk away from his mansion, right before Goku expected them to take off in the direction of the castle, Vegeta told him, without even looking at him, “I have made plans to have lunch with you this afternoon.”

“What?” Goku asked, not sure he heard him right, and replaying what he said in his head. It still didn’t make sense.

Vegeta looked at him critically, “I made plans. For us. To have lunch. Come with me.” He took off. Goku followed for every possible reason he could think of and for none at all. The Prince told Goku to turn off his scouter shortly after takeoff, and he did the same, and they flew for over two hours.

When Vegeta landed, Goku right behind him, they were in the middle of nowhere, but apparently it was exactly where Vegeta planned to be. The Prince had been messing with his phone a good part of the way there, but once they arrived, in this… Wilderness? Goku didn’t know what to call it, but it _was_ something special… Vegeta pulled out and turned off his phone and motioned for Goku to do the same, and they took off their scouters as well and laid the equipment down some ways away from the banks of a nearby lake.

Goku was nearly frozen stiff in retrospect, and it was hitting him so hard. Is his mind playing tricks on him right now, or is Vegeta showing him something intimate, something meaningful, like he did for him while they were on Earth? This place is beautiful, vast and empty except for what nature has provided, and though the scenery of Planet Vegeta is not unknown to Goku, he still appreciated it more than most, and he couldn’t help but sniff the air and hum in approval.

The Prince was torn on how to approach him now that they are alone, although Goku was much too distracted to notice. He remained calm, though, and even seemed relaxed, as far as Goku could tell.

After some time in silence and looking around, Vegeta began walking towards the lake, and he turned to Goku and said, “You like to hunt for game?” he smirked, leaning his head towards the water, “Shall we?”

Goku smiled, completely taken off guard, but absolutely ecstatic, and said, “Yeah!” and he began to remove his clothes with childlike delight.

Vegeta couldn’t help but chuckle at him and he followed suit.

They jumped into the lake, found their meal, slaughtered it, threw it out and onto the bank in no time, and then they took to swimming around a little bit as Goku clearly wasn’t ready to get out of the water, and Vegeta was trying to feel him out for his mood. Goku seemed to be enjoying himself and he spared a moment to splash the water on Vegeta much like he’d done with the sand. Vegeta looked at him like he’d lost his mind, before he replied with a splash of his own and a small smirk and then they emerged out of the water and went to find some wood to cook their findings. Vegeta hardly took his eyes off the other man, but he tried to remain on task, and they spoke very little to one another.

It all went by so fast. Goku felt himself getting lost in the moments while feeling completely at home with the company, and before he knew it, they were done cooking and eating, and were now contentedly laying out in the grass together only a few feet apart while the embers from the fire died out slowly. They laid in silence except for the sounds of nature, while adorning nothing but their underwear, all the while being dried off and warmed up by the sun.

Vegeta wasn’t quite as content as Goku, though, and had it not been for the distraction of a good meal, his nervousness might have been overwhelming. The Prince wasn’t sure how to bring up the topic of discussion which he brought him here for, but he knew he ought to do it sooner rather than later. He heard Goku sigh and watched as he put his hands up to rest them behind his head, and as much as he enjoyed looking at him, and being here with him like this, he couldn’t take the pressure anymore.

“Kakarot,” he began, sitting up as he spoke. Goku turned his head to regard him with that simple, handsome smile that seems to always decorate his face. Vegeta looked away from him pensively and told him, “I brought you here for more than just lunch.”

Goku smiled and his heartrate rose, and he nodded, having figured as much, and answered, “What’s up?”

Vegeta grew visibly irritated by his response, or by something, but he didn’t say anything right away. He looked out into the lake for a long, hot minute as he considered the weight of his words.

Goku was watching him but trying desperately to keep a good hold on himself, and so he didn’t push him to begin. After waiting for him to continue for some time, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like what he was going to hear, even if this afternoon has been so nice. Then he heard him speak, his usually rough and slightly accented voice was almost difficult to hear at first.

“I need to tell you something…”

Goku nodded again, even though Vegeta wasn’t looking.

“You see, I,” he murmured, “I have a confession.”

Goku prepared himself for the worst, but he didn’t know what exactly to expect so he just listened and breathed.

Vegeta smirked after another moment, and still facing the peaceful water before them, he revealed, “I can never be too cautious, but I had to be sure… I know now that you are trustworthy.”

Goku looked up into the sky as he let the Prince talk and determined that he was going to keep his mouth shut as long as possible and hear him out as best as he could manage.

Vegeta opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, then opened it again and finally said, “I’ve been keeping tabs on you ever since you came to the castle, but tenfold since we’ve gotten back from Earth.”

“You have?” Goku’s determination broke as he sat up and stared at him, “Why?” he wasn’t mad, not really, just extremely confused and he felt exposed.

Vegeta chuckled, and finally turned to look at him, “Because I wanted to see what kind of man you are.”

Goku didn’t understand and his face told Vegeta that much.

Vegeta looked back out at the lake and shifted his position, and Goku saw that _he_ was nervous for once. He explained, “You’ve been more trouble than you know. I will say that much. But… You passed the test.”

Still, silent, and processing, Goku said nothing in response.

Vegeta looked at him again, and this time his eyes bore into Goku’s softly, ardently even, and he professed, “I’ve never known a man who is so beloved by everyone he meets as you are. I wonder what that’s like,” he remarked.

Goku could hear some disdain in his voice, but his face was giving off some other emotion, although he couldn’t decipher it. His expressions seemed to shift as quickly and as fluidly as his emotional recoiling comes and goes, and Goku couldn’t keep up, so he opted to pay attention to what he was saying instead while Vegeta added, “At first I completely doubted all of the stories of your valor, but I’ve been watching you so closely, and studying all there is to know about you for some time now. I even learned that this is your preference of fishing,” he turned to the lake for a moment, “and that you actually enjoy hunting, which is so unlike so many other Saiyans nowadays. I must say that I am impressed. It seems you aren’t all talk, after all.” He looked down and smirked to himself, “I don’t know what came over me to go through such lengths. I couldn’t help it.” Then he looked at Goku as he said, “From the moment I saw you fighting in the first rounds of the tournament I couldn’t look away. When I saw you roaming the castle your first night there, I just had to meet you. I had to speak with you.” He stopped and smirked, “I only found out about my brother’s idea for the Bojutsu tournament because of the tracker I had on you after we got back,” he seemed to reminisce on that night and he told him, “I was surprised that you were going to fight. And then, at the end, _you_ and you _alone_ remained to face me when everyone else caved. That was something; something admirable,” the smirk dropped from his lips and a certain seriousness replaced it, “You are very skilled, and with your willingness to rise to a challenge, your potential is outstanding. Your character is commendable. And I respect your loyalty more than you could possibly know.”

He paused as Goku digested his speech, and then Vegeta continued, not rushing a single word as he spoke to him, “It’s not just a physical attraction that has me blinded by you, although there certainly is that. More for you than any other. I don’t know what’s come over me, but there’s just something that draws me to you. Obsessively. I don’t know how to explain it. Honestly, I don’t think there are any words. I don’t know what I think, or what I feel, other than the obvious, and even that is too jumbled for me to understand. I know that we haven’t had the chance to really talk, but even if we did and we drove each other crazy I wouldn’t mind a bit. I can’t stop thinking about you, and I don’t want to. But, at the same time, I know that I should.” He looked away again.

Goku wanted to stop him right there and kiss him and tell him how much he loves him, and how he feels the same! He wanted to try and convince him that everything is going to be okay and that he should just trust his gut, and they can go now and tell everyone how they feel, but Vegeta wasn’t finished explaining himself.

The Prince added, much faster than Goku could speak, and much to the bodyguard’s dismay, “The temptation between us, Kakarot, it’s too dangerous. And I have other things that I must address. Things of a more pressing and long-term matter. Things that cannot go on ignored forever unless I plan to go back on my word, or to disappoint so many, and I don’t intend to do such a thing. That’s what I’m trying to tell you, and I’ve dreaded this conversation because of it. Besides, it would never work between us,” he shook his head, so caught up in his own musings that he was ignorant of Goku’s thoughts or opinions on the matter, “What good would our pretending that this is anything other than what it can _only_ _ever_ _be_ do for either of us? And you’re still barely a second-class, and despite manifold attraction to you on all levels, our worlds simply don’t mesh. We run perpendicular, you and I, only to meet, by some chance of mere fate, at our crossroads, and only in quick passing. And what a wonderful passing it’s been. I would have it go on forever, if you would let it, but then again, I am a selfish man.”

Goku’s heart raced as he heard the awful words he knew were coming, but they were worse than he’d ever imagined. So much worse. So _much_ worse, in fact, that he decided to seal the deal with some honesty of his own. He planned to bare it all right here and right now, willing to end it in bitterness and hatred rather than risk any hope of them rekindling their love afterwards, so that he could be done with it and move on after everything is spoken between them. So, without further thought, he declared, “I have a confession to make, too,” and although his voice was a little shaky and his whole body was trembling where he sat on the ground, he still told him the truth. “I know you’re planning to marry her, even though you haven’t said it yourself, I know that’s what you’re trying to say. I spied on you while we were on Earth. I heard you promise Bulma the world.”

Vegeta snapped his head to him at that but could not speak in his shock.

Goku continued, driving the dagger that Vegeta placed into the heart of their relationship even deeper than the Prince’s initial cut, “I already knew,” he shook his head in disbelief, “How could you tell me something so similar to what you told her? But I guess at least you’re telling one of us the truth. Aren’t you?”

Vegeta’s lips fell open but no words came out.

The dam was opened, the floodgates were no more, and although Goku knew he should stop while he was ahead, it was too late. He gulped, trying to lubricate his dry throat, and then he asserted, “You think you’re so perfect? Or that I’m so wrapped up in thoughts of you that I didn’t notice? Or that I would just ignore all the cruelties you’ve done to me- all the heartache you’ve caused me- just for you to sit here and say that you love me, without ever saying it?! Or maybe you’re saying that you just want this, this, _affair,_ or whatever it is, to go on for as long as possible as long as you can get what you want out of it by the time it ends? Or maybe this is just the confessions of a _drunkard_ prince who is trying to save face, but to what end?! Because you know she won’t be enough?! She could _never_ be enough!”

“Kakarot-”

“No! You will listen to me for once! I’m not an idiot, Vegeta! You let me test the machine to make sure it wouldn’t crush you when you know damn well that they had no desire to harm you! You let me try the food at the hotel first to make sure they weren’t trying to poison you! Like they would be so stupid!”

Vegeta’s eyes widened in guilt and shock.

Goku disclosed, twisting the dagger, “You haven’t been straightforward with me for one second! Even now you can’t say what you really mean! You’ve only been using me as a distraction! And even if your confession holds some truth, how can I believe it after hearing what you said to her? And by the way, apparently _everyone_ knows! It was probably your ‘tracker’ on me that got us caught! That’s got to be disappointing for you seeing as how you wanted this to be such a secret and all!”

Finally, Vegeta snapped, standing up in his anger, and deflecting the whole conversation back onto him, “Are you a man or what?! We had sex, Kakarot! That’s all we had! I never promised you anything! I didn’t have to explain myself to you! I don’t owe you anything!

“If I had known you couldn’t handle this, I would have never let you come to Earth with me! In fact, you should have never come! I should have known better! You shouldn’t even be at the _castle_ for that matter!” and although he said it vehemently, his eyes were searching Goku’s face in a way that contradicted his speech as he added, “You have been practically **begging** for my attention! Putting our personal attraction aside- and I don’t care what your higherups have to say about your character- or what I thought about it- I already have enough problems without some wistful thinking, foolish young Saiyan **confusing** the situation! And you’ve certainly proven yourself to be _so_ much the man I thought you were, haven’t you? How dare you?! Spying on _me_! Your _Prince_! You should be punished!”

Goku growled and stood to his feet as well, crying, “Then punish me! You keep threatening me, but I have yet to see anything come of it other than the embarrassment I’ve already let you place on me! Empty threats and empty promises that’s all I ever hear from you! And that’s punishment enough, isn’t it?!

“I didn’t want to come here, anyways! And you didn’t _have_ to take me to Earth! You could have taken anybody! But you needed someone like _me_ so that your secret wouldn’t get out! I never wanted to be a part of the Guard! I told you that! And I never _would_ have come to the castle if I had known that I was going to be _your toy_! And I never thought that I would have ended up **falling in** **love with** **you**!” he faltered at that declaration, but recovered quickly, arguing, “I’m not proud of what I did but for some reason I thought that there _was_ something more between us, otherwise I never would have…!! Damn it! What does it matter?” and he turned away, flustered and heated and embarrassed by his outburst.

“It **_doesn’t_** matter!” Vegeta snapped, still standing his ground in defiance, “I don’t need you here, Kakarot! And perhaps you’re right! This _is_ punishment enough! I hope that this will be the last that I’ll have to deal with your ridiculous lusting after me!”

Goku frowned and turned on his heels to face him, and snipped smartly, “Just remember, later on, when your dissecting this conversation the way that you’ve tried to dissect me, that **you** kissed _me._ Not the other way around.”

“Oh, because that was so wrong and **evil** of me! And everything _you_ do is so **perfect**!” Vegeta retorted, turning away at the same time Goku turned his back to him. They stood in silence for a few moments, each man bombarded with thought, blood pumping with a different kind of adrenaline, until finally Vegeta questioned harshly, “What is it, exactly, that you were hoping might happen between us?”

Goku turned back to face him just as Vegeta was doing the same, and he searched his eyes as he longed to take back everything he said and tell him that he’s sorry and that he still loves him, but instead he found himself answering with a numbed heart, “Nothing. You’re right. It was nothing but a foolish thought. Now I’ve told you everything I should never have said, and I have nothing more to say, unless you’re trying to get me into even more trouble.”

Equally as frustrated, but unequally as reserved, Vegeta replied, articulating every word, “You couldn’t possibly be in any more trouble.”

Goku retorted, “Well, I’m not sorry for it. For any of it.”

Then Vegeta did something Goku didn’t expect, especially not now. He grabbed onto his face with both hands as he cocked his head to the side and kissed him with uninhibited hunger. Goku pulled him close, kissing him back, tasting his lips and relishing in his passion, before coming back to himself and pushing him away.

Vegeta looked him over as they breathed heavily and said, his voice now nothing more than a coarse whisper, “I knew you knew about her, you idiot. I would be a fool not to have known that Emeri and Leno told you.” He searched Goku’s face as he considered his next words, before he finally said, “I don’t know what I was thinking, coming here, and telling you this for myself. Maybe I was hoping you would understand. But how could you possibly?”

Goku searched his face deeply, memorizing every curve and detail, and he argued, his voice both quiet and sharp, “Understand what? That you’re getting married and that we are _nothing_? I understand just fine.”

Vegeta nodded and stepped backwards and away. He licked his lips and said, with a straightforward, assured quirk of his brow, “So that’s it, then? Very well,” he turned and headed to get his things. He threw on his clothes as fast as he could, ignoring how obscenely uncomfortable the situation had become, especially since Goku was just standing there, facing the lake, not saying, or doing anything. He picked up his armor and was fastening it on when, without turning back to face the other, he said, “By the way. I think it’s rather funny.”

“What?” Goku spat, but there was no anger in his question; he was drained of all emotions.

Vegeta shrugged his shoulders as he finished with his armor, and picked up his scouter and his phone, as he said, “You speak so lowly of the Earthlings and their ridiculous patterns of self-destruction, yet you have one of their most disgusting habits,” he scoffed, “Smoking. It’s ludicrous. You should stop, not that my ‘drunkard’ opinion matters to you with all your self-righteous stubbornness, anyways.” He took to the sky gently and floated there for a moment as he added, “And one more thing. You will address me as Prince Vegeta from now on, and I don’t want anything more to do with you other than what your job entails. Especially no more… random discussions…” and with that he took off, never looking back.

Goku stared into the stagnant waters and didn’t budge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was rereading through the last chapter and I saw so many typos! I'm sorry! I find that so annoying, especially when it's back to back like that! I read through this one a LOT so hopefully it's not as bad but I'm sure I've missed something. Anyways! I think maybe this is the crux of the story, like, not the climax, but obviously very important so uh, yeah, we're finally getting somewhere. I have a lot planned for this and getting it out of my head is going to be time consuming.
> 
> I always say its gonna take a while for the next chapter and then it never does, so I'm not gonna say that again because I honestly have no idea. Life is nuts right now for everyone and so I just don't know. I hope you guys are liking this story :) Thanks for reading and reviewing :)
> 
> Until next time...


	17. 17

Chapter 17

The next morning Goku awoke feeling no better than he had when he went to sleep the night before. He barely slept at all and he barely knew how he was feeling.

He went to work on time, but while on the job he was having a hard time concentrating, and although it was mostly just training, even that was difficult for him. After his shift was over a few of the men and women from the guard cornered him and asked him what had happened to him the day before. His heart clenched and his lips closed but they were quick to speak and said many things.

“I heard Prince Vegeta called to see you first thing yesterday. He must have heard about the fight last night. Word here travels fast.”

“Did you get into trouble?”

“Apparently Leno is pretty pissed that you embarrassed him like that.”

“Serves him right, whatever he did. No one messes with the Royal Guard.”

“Got into your first castle fight, huh? Assert your dominance here, Goku, more than anything else. Unless it comes to the Prince’s safety, of course.”

“Guess you’re not such a newbie anymore. Welcome to the Guard.”

“Don’t feel bad. Leno probably got a good talking to, as well.”

Goku was at first fearful that they were going to press him for information, but it seemed that they all had developed a newfound respect for him and instead of harassing him further they let it be. Their conversation quickly turned into talk about the details they saw rather than what they heard, as well as reminiscence on their night and other occurrences that had nothing to do with the fight, and they dropped the topic as quickly as they’d brought it up.

When some of them offered for him to join in while they go get something to eat at a restaurant outside of the castle, Goku agreed. He needed a distraction and turning them down was too dangerous. Besides, he felt safe knowing that aside from himself, the Prince, and Leno, no one else knew what was really bothering him. Well, sort of, anyways. He pretended at dinner to be feeling like himself and after a little while and a few stiff drinks, all his pretending started to pay off.

The next day wasn’t any easier for him. He ended up actually getting into trouble with some people he’s never met before; Hanes and Jero’s supervisors. Apparently getting into a fight with someone of a higher status than you is not considered “proper protocol.” They essentially bullied him in a meeting room with threats of fines and temporary loss of work if it happened again. Goku couldn’t help but wonder if they were telling him this on behalf of Prince Vegeta, but he couldn’t be sure, and he didn’t think Vegeta would stoop so low. More than anything they just seemed pissed that one of the Elites lost a scuffle against a second-class. Goku let them finish their one-sided discussion and walked out of the room disappointed, but not shaken. He didn’t care what they had to say. If someone wanted to fight, it didn’t matter who it was, he wasn’t going to back down just because of some stupid castle rule. The fight didn’t even happen at the castle, anyways, and as far as he was concerned, he didn’t do anything wrong.

The next day was tough, too, and Goku found himself smoking more this day than ever out of spite, but by the end of the day he felt like shit because of it and threw his pack away, as well as his unopened one, and decided that he was going to quit, as the Prince suggested. Not because he told him to, but because he was right. It’s a stupid habit.

A few more days went by, and although Goku was more or less his easy going self, he was finding it hard to forget about Vegeta, especially when Vegeta called him to work directly for him for the first time since they’d returned. Evidently the Prince had explained to someone, who mentioned to Goku, that he hadn’t asked him to work for him before today in order to give Goku a break after serving him directly for so long on Earth. That only helped to make matters worse about where Goku’s head is about the Prince. Not that he should even have him on his mind, but he couldn’t help it. He still wasn’t done figuring out exactly what they’d argued about the other day, exactly, or why he’d been so stupid to blurt out everything all at once like that. What was Vegeta’s point in telling him those things, anyways?!

While on duty, Goku was trying so hard to ignore Vegeta, and not pay attention to how good he looks or how well he’s handling things, that he didn’t hear him when being spoken to directly, which Vegeta then yelled at him in front of everyone for, berating him on being airheaded and simple minded, but the Prince dismissed them quickly after that and no one thought much of it. They were all used to his outbursts, but to Goku it was much more complicated, and he clenched his jaw as he considered training again for the second time that day to let out some of his frustrations.

When he told his friends and colleagues that’s exactly what he was going to do, they all said that he was crazy and to suit himself, but that they’d rather relax than put themselves through that torture, so he went alone and trained until he couldn’t anymore, before going to eat and then going to sleep.

The cycle continued for another few weeks, only something else started to happen during that time in addition to his already troublesome situation. The rumors that Leno suggested about him and Prince Vegeta’s affair actually _were_ circling. Apparently, it wasn’t just the troublesome tracker, some of the castle members put two and two together during their gossip hour. Some said they _heard_ two people clearly fucking in one of the offices in the west wing, while others reported that they had _seen_ Goku and Vegeta go inside of said room around the same time. To make matters worse, these rumors were finally hitting the Guard, and try as Goku might, he couldn’t deflect or run away from everyone’s questions. Of course, he denied everything, and played it off like they were ridiculous for even bringing it up, and although most of them said they believed him, or didn’t seem to care, some of them were obviously suspicious and of course they started ragging on him about it.

Aside from that, Goku had gained a lot of unwanted attention. His recent prowess in the training arena, which many came to watch, along with his fight with the Prince from the party, coupled with the rumors that apparently he’s a good fuck if the Prince was interested, managed to quickly land him a spot on some of the Castle members “To Do” list and many of them started blatantly hitting on him. He didn’t want the attention, nor the offer suggested, and he told them politely that he wasn’t interested, but the passes wouldn’t stop coming his way. It was beginning to annoy him. After a while, he started to literally swerve around some of the men and women who came up to him while he was training or eating, ignoring them outright. Sometimes he wasn’t so nice, though, and he would shut them down in a much more serious manner if it came to that.

After a long month of torment, Raditz, who has been so busy between Minala, the baby, working, and planning a wedding, finally managed the time to message his brother through his scouter while he was training. He told him that he wanted to spend some time with him later in the evening and that he would be by his room in about two hours. Goku could only wonder at what he really wanted. They weren’t the “hang out all the time” type, and so he knew it couldn’t be good and tried to think of what he would say if he asked him about Vegeta. He considered briefly that his father may have heard the rumors spreading about his youngest son by now, and he wondered if he’s still proud of him.

He sighed as he finished up his training and then he went to hit the showers. Afterwards he got changed, grabbed something to eat, and then headed to his room. Raditz would be by soon.

“Baby brother!” Raditz called, knocking on his door.

Goku smirked and opened the door to the giant man, letting him in without question. “Good to see you’re still alive, Raditz.”

“And what does that mean, exactly?” Raditz mouthed off, “I’ll have you know I’ve been doing so much ‘living’ it’s killing me. Babies are a lot of work. Even with help. And you sound like Dad, you old man. You better stop while you’re still young.”

Goku laughed as his brother plopped himself down onto his couch without thinking and opened a bottle of liquor, waving it at him. Goku went into his kitchen and searched his fridge as he asked, “Is Minala back at the castle yet?”

“Nah, not for another few weeks,” Raditz sighed, “That’s part of why I’m so tired- traveling back and forth and all.”

Goku hummed in response as he stared at his bare fridge. He didn’t keep much in there, but he’s finally had the time to buy some necessities like milk, juice, and water, and so he grabbed the juice, pulled out a few glasses from the cabinets, filled them with ice from the freezer, and headed back to his living room to sit on the couch next to his brother.

Raditz poured them both a stiff drink straight from the bottle, they clinked glasses, and then relaxed into the cushions as they took a mouthful. Both of them made a face at how strong it was, but the first sip is always the roughest, and from there they had no problem knocking the rest of it down as they talked.

“Enough about me, though,” Raditz began, grinning, and Goku rolled his eyes the moment he opened his mouth, noting that he was starting out the conversation like their father, but knowing that it was not going to go down the same way. “I heard you fucked Prince Vegeta.”

 _‘Yep,’_ Goku thought, blushing, _‘Nowhere near as tactful.’_ “Huh?! Ugh, Rad!” he replied exasperated and guilty, “Do you want a confession?” and he stared into his glass to avoid eye contact.

“Well, as your brother, yes, and also, as your brother, no, but mostly,” he reached his hand out and slapped him on the back of the head, “That’s for being a smartass!”

“Ow!” Goku looked at him in disbelief, holding the back of his head.

Raditz went to swat at him again but Goku dodged, so instead he pinched him on the pressure point between his chest and his clavicle and said, “And _that’s_ for not listening to me!”

“Let me go!” Goku whined but he couldn’t help but laugh as he pushed his hand away. Then he huffed and relaxed back into his couch as Raditz let up and did the same. Goku looked into his glass again, but he didn’t know what else to say. Raditz already knows the rumor is true, so what did he want to hear from him now? The damage is done. It’s too late to change anything.

Raditz took another drink, and as the ice cubes inside were moving around when he brought his cup back down, he asked him, “So. What happened with you and Leno? That one I haven’t got the full picture of, yet.”

“What?”

“The _fight_ with you and Leno? Don’t _‘what’_ me!”

Goku smiled and laughed, “No,” he shook his head, “I’m just surprised you didn’t want to know more about Prince Vegeta…”

Raditz gave him an unimpressed and condescending stare before he stated simply, “I already told you, before it happened, that I _knew_ what would happen with Prince Vegeta. Grow up and stop being stupid. If you think I’m not annoyed, oh believe me, I am, but,” he shrugged, “It’s not my problem. Now, if you’re like, I don’t know, hurting somehow, heartbroken and dying inside because of your own impulsive decisions, that’s _still_ not my problem.”

Goku punched his arm playfully, and although his words hurt, he knew he was saying them out of love.

Raditz continued, brushing off the hit like it was dust on his arm, “ _Leno_ on the other hand, that came out of nowhere, and I’m way more curious to know why you decked him than I am curious about why you fucked Vegeta. Anyone who got the chance would crawl into _his_ bed.”

“Gee, thanks,” Goku snorted, but in spite of the pain in hearing that statement, it didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would, and he was happy that Raditz wasn’t pushing the subject, because he really didn’t want to tell him the whole of it. Besides, he wasn’t worried about just anyone getting into Vegeta’s bed. Vegeta’s bed, regardless of who slept in it, belonged exclusively to Bulma, and that was all that mattered in the long run.

“Hellooo?” Raditz ran a hand in front of his face, “I’m asking you a question!”

Goku came back to reality, looked over at him and smiled and said, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me,” Raditz grinned.

Goku shifted on the couch, took another swig, and said, “Leno hit on me while we were on Earth. I didn’t respond to it, though. That night when I saw him at the bar, he said that he heard I had slept with Prince Vegeta, and then he hit on me again, basically insinuating that since I was done with my fling with the Prince that I should move on to someone else. I told him I wasn’t interested. He didn’t listen. The end.”

Raditz laughed and eyed Goku for a minute before he said with a huff, “What a dick.”

“Yeah,” Goku said, looking over at his brother, happy for his support, and surprised by how easy it was to come by, “I just… I guess I could have told people what happened but I… I didn’t want to…”

“No,” Raditz shook his head, “Secrecy is better. Silence is better. You’ve handled it the right way,” and he ruffled his hair teasingly to which Goku pulled away and mock glared at him.

“Don’t you have a son to ruffle his hair, now?! Stop picking on me you overgrown tyrant!”

He laughed at him, and then sighed and said, “Man, I gotta tell ya, it is nice to get away for a minute. But I think I need your help. So, from now on, if I need to get away, I’m going to text you, and then you have to call me with some phony emergency to get me out of there. We need a safe word for my home life.” Goku laughed at him, but he shook his head and said, “I’m serious! How about peanut butter, or meat, or, I don’t, breakfast.”

Goku cracked up laughing, “Those are way too common and why are all of your suggestions food?”

Raditz burst out into laughter with him and said, “I don’t know but you have to help me. Shut up!”

They spent the next few hours together laughing and catching up, and Goku felt better than he had in a long time and wondered why he’d ever avoided talking to his brother about all of this for so long.

_Meanwhile…_

“Vegeta,” a small and gentle voice called from behind the Prince while he was training.

The Prince knew he was there, of course. He heard him when he came in, even though the man had tried to enter inconspicuously, and even though he knows that no one is welcome here uninvited. When Vegeta’s training alone in his personal gym, no one is supposed to come inside, not unless it’s an emergency.

“Hey…?”

Clearly the intruder doesn’t care.

Vegeta is currently hanging upside down with his feet hooked into two rings connected to the ceiling by a wire. His sweat is dripping downward, pouring into his hair and pooling on the floor beneath him. He isn’t facing the other man, but he knows exactly who he is even by the simple quiet sound of his voice. Still, he didn’t stop for even a fraction of a second as he was spoken to, and he didn’t respond.

“Well!” the voice raised, its owner clearly growing irritated, as he said, “I know you can hear me.”

 _‘So much for privacy,’_ Vegeta thought, _‘and silence,’_ and he continued to ignore him in hopes that he might get fed up and leave.

The other man didn’t though, and he seemed affronted as he said, “Fine! I’m just going to ask you outright,” he waited, but when he received no answer he demanded, “ **What** is your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem,” Vegeta answered simply, not missing a beat as he continued to work his muscles to point of exhaustion, “Go away.”

Tarble stalked around him so that he would have to face him, even if he is upside down while doing so, as he said, “You **do** have a problem. I can tell. You’ve been an even bigger ass than usual.”

“Hn,” Vegeta grunted, stopping for a second to look at him, “Even worse than usual, you say? I didn’t know I’d been slacking off that much.” He went right back to his sit ups.

“Yes, worse than usual! Actually, that’s an interesting way to put it,” Tarble smiled, “Because it seems to me that you _were_ in a good mood a month or so ago. When you got back. You know, you haven’t told me anything that’s going on with you recently. What happened on Earth? Can’t you just talk to me? I have a right to know about my own brother! And you know I’ll find out by other means if I have to, but I’d rather just ask you myself!”

Vegeta snorted again, but continued to push his body’s limits, while saying, “You just did. Now run along.”

“Damn it, Vegeta!” Tarble quipped, “Quit being a dick! I know that’s hard for you, but you could at least try! Get down from there and talk to me!”

He stopped for a moment to look at him and said, “No,” and then kept going.

“You’re impossible,” Tarble stated, as a plain matter of fact. He began to walk away as he said, seeming to speak to himself, but loud enough for the other to hear, “It’s no wonder, really… I don’t blame him at all…”

Vegeta stopped at that and even though he knew he was being baited into this discussion, he still asked gruffly, “ _Who?_ ”

“Hm?” Tarble replied with a false air of ignorance.

The elder Prince could hear his smirk and feel the smugness of his attitude emanating off of his younger brother. He knew he’d have to have an actual conversation with him if he wanted _any_ peace. He stopped what he was doing and took in a deep breath as he still hung in the air before he asked again, as concisely as possible, “ _Who_ are you talking about and _what_ are you talking about?”

Tarble was indeed smirking and he turned back to face him, even if it was only his back that he was looking at, and he replied, casually, “You know exactly who I’m talking about. I don’t know what he sees in you, though. Personally, I think he deserves better.”

Vegeta raised up, grabbing the rings with his hands while he unhooked his feet from them and then landed on the ground with a light thud, avoiding the wetted parts, all the while glaring at his brother. He told him, “Don’t speak of what you do not know, Tarble.”

“Well that’s why I’m here, isn’t it?” Tarble grinned.

“If I punch you, how much trouble do you think I’ll get into?” Vegeta threatened, putting his hands on his waist as he stared him down.

“Not as much as you’ll be in if I say you’re having second thoughts.”

Vegeta growled but then recollected himself and walked past Tarble with his usual blank stare. Tarble knew that he was deep in thought, though, and he watched him closely as he went to wipe himself off with a towel laying on a bench nearby.

“Brother, please,” Tarble tried again, “Do you not wish to have _anyone_ as your confidant?”

“No.”

“Fine!” Tarble snapped, and began heading for the door again, saying, “I’m just going to go tell our father that you’re not interested in marryi-”

“SHUT UP!” Vegeta was on him in a flash, and he grabbed ahold of his brother by his armor and glared down at him.

Had Tarble been anyone else, he would have been terrified, but instead he smirked at him, and let out a small laugh. He knew Vegeta’s tactics well, intimidation being his go to. Then he will try to deflect the conversation around in circles, and that might work on someone else, but Tarble came prepared and determined. He knows exactly what to say and what buttons to push to get him to confess to what’s going on if there is anything to confess to begin with. He knows, too, that in spite of Vegeta’s coldness towards everyone, including him, he’s really not so bad, and that if anyone is capable of finding out the true innerworkings of Vegeta’s mind, it’s him, his own brother.

Other than sheer curiosity, Tarble really is concerned for Vegeta’s happiness and wellbeing, and he needs to know what is really going on. All the rumors going throughout the castle recently have left him thirsty for the truth. That, and he knows Vegeta’s stressed out enough, already, and that he should probably tell somebody something before he explodes in _other_ ways. It’s too late at night for Vegeta to even be training right now, and even though Tarble is used to watching him be self-destructive, that doesn’t mean that he’ll just stand by and let it happen, not if he can help him.

Vegeta let go of him and stared him down for a long few moments before he turned away again and finally said, going back to cleaning himself up, “Why are you here? You want to know what happened on Earth? I’ll tell you. I saw those ridiculous women, with their ridiculous homes, and their ridiculous families; I wasn’t impressed. But I don’t have a choice, now, do I? Father has made it very clear that he wants me to marry one of them, so I chose one, and I told her I would marry her, just as he’s asked. You already know who, in fact I believe you knew before you came here, so what is it that you actually came here for, Tarble?” He looked over at his brother with grave and serious eyes.

“I came here for confirmation,” Tarble nodded, “But not about you deciding to choose Bulma. Father told me, after all, but I figured you would pick her, anyways. Capsule Corp does have a lot to offer. And at least she’s intelligent,” He shrugged, “It makes sense.”

Vegeta scoffed, “Confirmation about what then? The marriage? You want to know if it’s really going to happen or if I’m thinking of finally telling our Father to fuck off?” he laughed coldly, “Or is it the wedding? Do you want to know if you’re invited, because frankly, I haven’t decided yet,” he added sarcastically, and then he sneered and looked away, “But if you must know _everything,_ I have to propose when I go back. I leave at the end of next week.” He grit his teeth before relaxing again, “I never thought I’d be in this position in a million years. I think I’d rather take the wrath of Frieza over this. What is it the Earthlings say, ‘Damned if I do; Damned if I don’t’?”

Tarble went silent for a little while but eventually he said, “I’m sorry.”

Vegeta replied, “Don’t feel sorry for me. I don’t need or want any pity, especially yours.” He smirked at him, “Honestly, she’s not so bad, really. And besides, you get to do whatever you want, so why should you be sorry?” he picked up his phone and started checking it, along with his scouter.

“That’s not why I said it,” Tarble told him, raising his chin before he revealed, hoping to get a rise out of him, “I’m sorry because I know you have feelings for Goku.”

Vegeta stiffened for a second and then looked at his brother and laughed harder than was natural to be genuine and shook his head and immediately refuted, “ _Kakarot?!_ You’re really bringing him up? That’s what you came here for? To ask me about _him_?” but he turned away from Tarble quickly and started to put on a shirt as he said, “I don’t have feelings, Tarble, I have considerations. And even if I did consider him to be…” he paused for a second, “ _Anything_ special, which I _don’t_ , you have no right to come here and ask me about my private life, not that you care or have any respect for me, since you already did!”

“Oh!” Tarble answered, animatedly, “Well seeing as how they’re all talking about it out _there_ , I figured I might as well bring the conversation in _here_.”

“And what do you know about it, anyways?” Vegeta asked, eyeing him.

“Well I know what they are saying,” he bluffed with a little white lie, “That you have the hots for him, which I already knew, of course, it’s obvious.” He rolled his eyes and Vegeta glared at him but he kept going, ignoring the warning, “And I heard that you took him out somewhere after your meeting with Dr. Buro, and that’s when you came back all pissed off, which isn’t completely unusual, but since _that_ happened _after_ your little rendezvous in the _office_ , it’s clear that his only intention with you was a one night stand, and so now they all think that you’re pissed because _he_ turned _you_ away, and after learning about that, I naturally just wanted to know how you’re handling it.”

“Excuse me?!” Vegeta growled, glaring him down, wrapping a towel behind his neck, “Fuck you!”

Tarble snickered, “What a Kingly response!”

Vegeta ignored him, his face growing red in anger and embarrassment, and he argued, “I _know_ that’s not what’s being said! You nosey little snoop! No one knows what Kakarot and I talked about that day after we went to Dr. Buro’s! No one even knew that we went to Dr. Buro’s AND it’s nobody’s business! Especially not yours!”

Tarble smirked, “You’re wrong about that. Many people noticed that you were gone for much longer than expected that day, and I was only keeping tabs on you because-”

Vegeta spat, “Stop doing that!” and then he huffed, “Get a life of your own!”

“But yours is so much more interesting!” Vegeta snarled, annoyed, but Tarble kept going, trying to see what information he could get out of him by using his spin on the rumors, “Besides! If what they’re saying is _not_ true, then why have you been in such a foul mood ever since that day?”

Vegeta scoffed, and turned away from him, throwing on his armor as he argued, “I’m not falling for your trap. That’s not what’s being said. The only rumor circulating is the simple _allegation_ that we fucked, Tarble, and I don’t see what the big deal is.”

“No, it’s not like this is the first rumor of its kind, and most of those rumors weren’t even true, but then again,” he grinned, “you’ve never acted quite this ridiculous about them.”

Vegeta scowled, “I have no idea what you’re talking about. If I seem moody to you, I obviously can’t help it. If you had half the burdens heaped onto your shoulders as I do, then you’d be in the throes of losing your mind as well. You’re welcome.”

Tarble chuckled, “Deny it all you want but I know that you like him. I’ve been trying to get you to admit it for some time, but you _are_ stubborn! Actually, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that this affair started before you got back from Earth,” Vegeta snapped his head over to him as Tarble scratched his chin, thoughtfully, and added, “I wonder, though, why he decided to end it? Perhaps it’s because of your unbearable attitude!”

Vegeta tutted, disregarding his brother’s accurate stab in the dark, “Please! If anyone’s going to leave anyone it’s going to be **me** leaving **him** , not the other way around!”

“So, you’re still seeing him?” Tarble wondered, smirking.

“No,” Vegeta answered proudly, dressed, and ready to walk away.

“But you actually _were_ seeing him?” Tarble clarified.

“No!” Vegeta answered, holding his ground.

“But you just said that if one was going to leave the other-”

“It was hypothetical you imp!” Vegeta growled.

“So then the rumors are true?”

“Enough!”

“Well, they can’t be _that_ far from the truth.”

“You’re just making shit up! Why are you listening to their gossip as it is?”

Tarble grinned, “I get it, you won’t admit it because they _are_ true. There’s no need to be embarrassed. It happens to the best of us.”

“Kakarot did _not_ turn me away!” Vegeta barked but recoiled slightly as he nearly revealed himself.

Tarble smirked, “So you’re still seeing him.”

“No!” Vegeta growled again, trying to hold his footing.

“Have you told him about Bulma yet?”

Vegeta answered, too heated to stop it, “He _knows_ , damn it!” and then he took in a quick breath as he realized his mistake.

Tarble turned more thoughtful and replied as Vegeta was busy deciding if he should have said that or not, “You broke it off with him because of her?” Vegeta turned away and didn’t respond. Tarble smiled softly and said, “I see.”

He spun around and argued, “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” stalking towards him menacingly, “And if you dare bring this up again, or say anything more, _anything_ at all, I promise you now you will regret it!”

“Calm down,” Tarble smirked, “You’re going to have a heart attack if you keep that up, and your heart must already be in poor condition from how little you use it, if you even have one, that is.”

Vegeta lifted his chin at him and said with an even tone and cool defiance, “I’m going to kill you slowly and watch the life leave you with no more emotion than I have while watching paint dry.”

Tarble only chuckled and told him, “You’d be doing yourself a disservice. I’m the only good thing you have going for you, other than the illustriously circulated rumors about how good you are in bed.”

“Ha. Ha,” he glared, his eye twitching, “This conversation is absolutely, unequivocally, and utterly over,” he finally demanded and began to walk through the room towards the door.

Tarble watched him, feeling bad for him, but still he said, pushing the limits, “Does he feel the same for you?”

“Tarble,” Vegeta threatened, turning his head to the side as he reached for the door handle to his escape.

Tarble decided to push it just a little bit further and in a last attempt, before he could leave, he said, “I have never seen you have any emotion on your face while looking at someone. Or when speaking of someone,” Vegeta stopped and listened, “And yet when you look at him it’s like your whole being comes alive. And when you talk about him, even just now, I see this light in your eyes. You’re in love with him. Are you not going to do anything about it?”

“Tarble,” Vegeta answered without facing him, and Tarble watched as his shoulders raised and lowered as he took a deep breath, and he said, “I’m only going to say this once, and then I don’t want to hear another word about it: I am to be King. In order to do that I need a wife. In order to secure our relationship with the Earth, which has quickly become the main foundation and funding for nearly _every_ aspect of our people’s lives in much the same way Frieza funded us all those years ago, our father has insisted that I choose from their women. I have done that.

“Do you understand? I will not have our people suffer under my reign because I don’t want to get married. I am already struggling to achieve the King’s power. Do you have any idea how much that haunts me? So, for now I will do what I can while I work towards my goals. In the meantime, I have to produce an heir in order to secure the family line. You can marry who you want, and if by some chance by the time our father is gone something happens to me, I hope that you will have chosen for yourself who you’ll have a life with and you can deal with things as you wish. You were not groomed for this. He doesn’t tell you everything, and neither do I, and it’s not because we don’t think you can handle it, it’s because as the second-born, it’s not your responsibility.

“This has been a long time coming. It’s too late for anything else. I shouldn’t have waited so long, but I did, and I can tarry no longer. Father is fed up with my insistence on what he says is ‘doing everything but what is considered leading a normal life.’ He’s been pushing me into this for nearly a decade now, and if I’m to be completely candid- he arranged for me to marry a woman from Earth _before_ I met Kakarot. Even **if** I wanted a life with him over her, can you imagine? A petty third-class soldier, turned bodyguard, turned _King?!_ The backlash I’m going to get over marrying an Earthling is going to be enough! And we would never have any children of our own! Then what kind of King would I be? The last of my line? Should I leave that burden up to you? No, I don’t think so. You will get to live your life without any kind of oppression, not like I had to see once upon a time, and so I’m going to use the Earthling’s technology to become a Super Saiyan and earn our people’s respect and my place here. And you will live your life without facing the pressures of Kingship, as I am beginning to do, right now,” and he opened the door and walked out.

Goku was doing much better. He was determined to move on. Determined. A month and a half after the incident with Vegeta and his routine was nearly back to normal. In fact, everything at the castle was feeling strangely normal, like he belonged, finally. He enjoyed training and he enjoyed the company of the guard now more than ever, just like the army. He was never one to be discontent for long, and even though his heart still longed for Vegeta, he was willing to respect what had become of them.

That didn’t mean that it hurt any less. No, it hurt worse, because Vegeta had told him that he actually does have feelings for him, but whatever those feelings are exactly, or however strong, or however real, they aren’t enough for him to call off a marriage, so they must not run that deep, not for Vegeta, anyways. He wished he would have never said anything.

Goku tried to push those thoughts aside on a daily and he smiled and did his job and trained and relaxed like he was perfectly content, even though his body was starting to react to not having smoked in some time, and his mind wasn’t any better off for it, on top of his other issues. He just kept telling himself that time would heal and change everything eventually and that things would be okay; he just didn’t know when. And in spite of things getting easier, he knew he’d been lashing out a little bit more than usual recently, but he chalked it up to quitting smoking on top of his new found “fame”.

It was a particularly rough day for him today, though, and he decided to go into an empty training hall and let loose by himself for a while. He was about halfway through his workout when a group of men, some of the military from what he can recall, came into the training room. They called out to him and proposed that he leave so they could train alone. He declined, telling them that the space was plenty big enough. An argument ensued, and they said that he had no right to tell them no and that he has to leave now. Not in the best mood he’s ever been in, Goku declined again. Then they attacked, fourteen of them against his one. He wasn’t the type to turn down a fight, or give up when the going got tough, so he battled them all.

Everything was going fine at first, for the most part. They were hellacious, but he was holding his own, having already knocked out three of them by the time things started really heating up. Then the battle turned much more serious.

Normally Goku could handle snarky comments, he could ignore them or dish it back, or simply shut up the offender with his fists, but he was already in a bad mood, and he was itching to test his strength in a real battle for once. After knocking out four more men, things began heading south. The fighters started using ki blasts, and the room they were in was getting demolished.

Suddenly Goku was put in a choke hold, and all the men watching started laughing thinking the fight was finally over. The man who held him whispered, “I got you now you disrespectful little fuck! We’re going to put you in a regeneration tank! And maybe later, once you’ve learned your place, you can be _my_ bitch, and you can call me ‘Sire’.”

Goku lost it. He exploded with fury, the last thing he remembered doing before blacking out was slamming the back of his head into the man’s nose, breaking it. The next thing he remembered all of the men were on the ground, out cold, and paramedics were filing in and carrying each of them out. The room was completely destroyed, and Goku was bloody and bruised, but undefeated. Several of his guard members were there, staring at him and the mess. His supervisors came as well, and they all looked stupefied. He was told to get cleaned up and then report back to see Hanes in his office immediately.

Just as he suspected, he got in trouble. Hanes was there waiting for him, along with Jero and their managers, again. They asked him what happened, and he told them that the men had jumped him, but they weren’t buying it. They said they’d have to check the cameras and do an investigation but that they are pissed and disappointed. They said they had no choice but to suspend him from his job for two weeks without pay and then they told him that there may be other repercussions down the line once they speak with _their_ bosses about this fiasco. He was probably going to get fined, too, in order to fix up the training room.

Goku didn’t care. He didn’t care one bit. He went straight to his room and sat on the couch as he thought about what to do with himself. About thirty minutes later a knock came on his door and he opened it, annoyed. He perked up when he saw his father, but he didn’t look happy to see him for once.

“Goku!” Bardock frowned, “Can I come in?”

Goku nodded and stepped aside to let him in, and then closed the door behind him.

Bardock took a good look around the room before he turned to his son and said, “So! You’ve been getting into a lot of trouble recently! You’ve got more heat on you than some of our Most Wanted! I have to say I don’t like being pulled out of a meeting just to be told that my son completely destroyed a training room and almost killed several of our officers.”

Goku sighed and blushed out of frustration but he didn’t reply, going over to the couch to have a seat.

“Care to tell me what’s going on?” Bardock asked, still standing in the middle of the room as he watched him closely.

He explained, “What am I supposed to do? Obey people who aren’t even my boss? Or turn the other cheek when I’m being harassed?”

“Harassed, hmm?” Bardock eyed him, glaring, “Surely it’s not that bad, is it? I know you must have had your fair share of harassment in the army?”

“Not like this! You don’t understand!” Goku growled, but he was unwilling to talk about it, and Bardock gave him an unconvinced stare anyways, and so he said, putting his head in his hands, “I’m just… I’m sorry, okay?”

“Hmm,” Bardock’s frown smoothed a little bit, but he crossed his arms and argued, “You don’t need to apologize to me! You’re going to have to deal with whatever they decide to do with you! From what I heard you’re already losing out on pay and work! Getting into trouble here isn’t exactly like getting into trouble in the army. You can’t just go off and blow shit up every time someone pisses you off. You can be fired, you know.”

Goku sighed and lifted his head up, saying, “Yeah, I know. But it was self-defense. I didn’t do anything wrong. Besides, that might not be such a bad thing.”

Bardock went to sit beside him and he waited a few moments longer before he answered, saying supportively, “Well, you do have to stand up for yourself.” He shook his head and chuckled a little bit, “I don’t think I would have been able to manage myself well for this job, not at your age. There’s a lot of temptation around, and distractions,” he nodded, “and it’s a lot of responsibility, to serve the way you guys do. Honestly, your job is more important than theirs, and they know it, and they don’t like it. And you’re still just a second-class citizen, although I think you forget that sometimes.” Goku huffed as Bardock explained, pointing at his shirt, “Wearing that symbol around here is a big deal. Some people get jealous.”

Goku looked at him thoughtfully and wondered, off topic, “What do you do, exactly? You don’t get picked on or have any trouble! And how does everyone know about everything so fast?” He sighed again, but dropped that and asked, “Isn’t it a little late in the day to be in a meeting?”

Bardock smirked, “I serve the King, in whatever way he asks. It’s different every day, but it _is_ a lot of meetings, and they can be at any time, like the meeting you just caused Hanes and Jero to have, for instance.”

Goku shrunk a little in embarrassment and wouldn’t meet his gaze.

“You know…” Bardock eyed him, “I had my fair share of fights when I first got here, but I shut them down quickly. And I didn’t blow anything up while doing it! And anyways, normally I would have let you stew a little while before coming to ask you about what happened, but the King is the one who sent me here. He’s hoping that maybe I can talk you off that ledge you seem to be walking on recently.”

Surprised, Goku asked, “The King?! But! Why?”

“Well, you disrupted his day! When you blow something up or beat up his men, things like that have to get reported to him and this time it was _big_. He doesn’t appreciate getting his day interrupted! Especially for something so trivial! Besides that, you’ve apparently been a distraction to his son. And from what I understand you’ve been acting a little… aggressive.”

Balking, Goku replied, “I haven’t! Well, maybe. But I haven’t talked to Prince Vegeta in over a month! And the only time I see him is when I’m working! And I’ve been following the rules! What I know of them, anyways,” he fell back into the couch and let out a heavy groan.

Bardock chuckled at him, but Goku rolled his eyes, and crossed his arms, and didn’t say anything, hoping he wasn’t going to pry for more information. He didn’t want to talk about quitting smoking or the real reason he hasn’t talked to Vegeta, much less their talk as it is, or any of the triggers behind his hostility. Honestly, outside of these castle walls, he’s pretty sure his behavior is considered completely normal.

Sighing, Bardock said, “Just try to keep your head! Okay? You could have knocked those guys out without destroying the place and endangering everyone else.”

Goku pouted and again didn’t reply. He just didn’t feel like explaining himself _again_. He wasn’t the one who started with the ki blasts, and what does Prince Vegeta have to do with anything, anyways?! And what does the King know about it?! How embarrassing!

Bardock said, in spite of his thoughts, “I’m not telling you to back down, I’m just telling you to play smart. They’re intimidated by you enough, already. Way to shut it down, though, maybe this’ll be the last time, hm?”

He looked at his father very skeptically.

Bardock laughed at his silence and his expressions and said, “I have to go- I have to get back to it- but why don’t you text me sometime and quit being such a loner? You’re allowed to reach out,” and he stood up and looked around again as he headed for the door. “This is a nice room they gave you,” he commented, “But you should probably get out of it a little more. Hey! You have two weeks off! You don’t have to hang around here, anyways!”

Goku finally smiled weakly, but Bardock left quickly, without anything more to say.

Goku sat around for a little while and thought about what his father was trying to tell him, but he didn’t sit for too long. Glancing at his phone he saw that it’s getting later in the evening, and so he gets up and changes and leaves the castle to go out for dinner, not wanting to see anyone or hear anything and he was starving and didn’t feel like cooking. He found a spot he’s never been to and ate alone, taking his time and enjoying his meal as he thought about the trouble that he’s gotten himself into. It really wasn’t all that upsetting to him. He’s been through much worse and he figured that no matter what he was going to be fine. If he does end up getting fired, which he felt wouldn’t be right even though the thought didn’t bother him, he would figure it out. He still has the army to fall back on and maybe he can get Hanes to write him a recommendation letter if worse comes to worse. Maybe.

After a while he let his thoughts wonder to other things as he ate and his mind didn’t settle on any particular matter for too long, which was a stress reliever in and of itself. He avoided the topic of Vegeta entirely. The meal he ate was delicious, but all the thinking and sitting around wasn’t helping anything, so he left the restaurant after paying and went to walk around in the city, just to get out of his own head.

It felt good to get away alone for once. He stayed out for longer than he planned, but he figured it was just what he needed. Even at night, the weather is nice this time of year, not so cold as it had been when he first moved into the castle 5 months ago. It’s warmed up quite a bit since he’s gotten back from Earth, even, and it seemed that no matter what part of Planet Vegeta he’s on he could still sniff the air and get the same sense of easing inside of him.

As he walked on, he window-shopped, briefly wondering how much money he has before deciding that he doesn’t need anything, and that he’d be better off not spending anything for now, anyways. Who knows how much they’ll charge him for the training room?

He finally decided to head back, but he was in no hurry. He flew casually to the castle and walked leisurely through it. It’s late enough now that not many people are up, so he didn’t see anyone except for a few guards on his way to his quarters. By the time he got to his room he was tired, which was good, because he hoped for once that he wouldn’t be stuck groggily awake but unable to sleep.

He goes into his kitchen and opens one of his cabinets to pull out a glass. He usually doesn’t drink alone, but he figured one wasn’t going to hurt anything. Maybe it would help ensure that he’ll fall asleep. Besides, he doesn’t have anywhere to be in the morning so why not? He looks at his phone as he’s making his cocktail, noting that it’s already approaching one in the morning, then he hears something coming from his outside his living room door. He finishes making his drink, not thinking much of the noise, and he takes a sip as he rounds the corner, but nearly chokes at what he sees, or rather, _who_ he sees.

“Be quiet! Don’t speak! It’s me,” Vegeta tells him, pulling down the hood on his cape and holding up a hand, trying to calm him down before he can overreact, or even utter a word.

Goku looks him up and down in confusion and shock, noting the black cloak he’s wearing that’s hiding most of him, but he still can’t wrap his head around what he’s seeing. He asks, quietly, “What the- How did you get in here?” and then he shakes his head, his heart racing, “Why are you here?” He knew the question was rude, but he’s still so pissed at him. And in love.

Vegeta throws his cloak off entirely, flinging it onto one of the dining room chairs. He isn’t so quick to answer Goku’s question as he turns back to him, but instead he grabs onto the drink Goku was barely hanging onto and plucks it from his hand, taking a swig before handing it back, all the while never losing eye contact.

“Prince Vegeta,” Goku speaks gently, utterly confused, “I don’t understand.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliff hanger haha the next chapter isn't written except for the final scene of this once. And I was going to include it in this chapter but it was too much for one segment. Way too much. So I'm looking at a blank screen other than my notes, and an unedited version of what's to come next. Which is refreshing, for once.
> 
> Thank you for reading :)


	18. 18

Chapter 18

Vegeta walks past him, into the kitchen and over to the counter, and then he looked around briefly, as though surveying his surroundings. Goku’s eyes follow his movements while taking in the whole picture of him and trying to calm his own mind down as he wondered what he’s doing here, and so unexpectedly. It’s one in the morning and Vegeta’s _still_ wearing his armor. He looks remarkable, but out of place. Not nervous, really, but pensive, even more so than usual. Goku can’t help but feel a little disdained by his presence, but he can’t deny that he wants him to stay, nevertheless. Everything in his mind is telling him to demand that he leaves, but he just can’t, because… What if he stays?

Goku tries speaking to him again, opening his mouth and then closing it, finding himself at a loss for words. Finally, he asks, thinking of nothing else, “Do you want a drink?”

“Yes,” Vegeta nods, turning to face him. He presses his back to the counter and braces himself against the ledge, almost casually. His stance says that he wants to talk, but his face reveals nothing. Those dark eyes of his hold his passion in them, and although he’s not looking at him, they portray it boldly, with a mystique Goku was sure he’ll never get over. His thoughts are masked with a shielding, though, like his armor, thick and well-forged, the likes of which Goku believes he’ll never learn the making of, no matter how desperately he wants to shed it from the other man.

“Okay…” Goku answers, still trying to get a grip. He sets his glass down as he began to move to the cupboard beside Vegeta to make him something to drink, all the while wondering what in the fucking universe is going on. His hands shake a little bit as he moves to the freezer to fill the glass with ice, and a surreal feeling came over him because how could this moment be actually happening?

He finishes his task, making the same drink he made for himself as he heard the seconds ticking by in their silence, or maybe that’s his heart beating too loud, and he turns to the Prince and hands Vegeta the cup, before picking up his own. They each take a large drink, Vegeta nearly finishing the entire contents of his in one go.

Finally, the Prince asks, his voice uncommonly soft, and his concentration is on the cup in his hand, “What happened today?”

Goku answers, still stuck on disbelief mode, “… Um…”

“Don’t play games with me!” Vegeta snaps and glares at him, but he doesn’t seem angry. He says firm, but in a low voice, “I’m asking you, up front, about the disaster back in the training room that you destroyed earlier today: What happened?”

Goku lets out a breath of annoyance and says, batting his lashes away from him and turning his chin dejectedly, “I told Hanes and Jero, already. They attacked me.”

“Yes, I know,” Vegeta replies, equally annoyed, but he reaches up and pulls Goku’s face back to look at him with gloved fingertips, as he asks, “Why?”

Goku looks at him strangely, still unable to reply, especially after that gesture, but Vegeta’s hand leaves his cheek as quickly as it had come. He watches as Vegeta grips the countertop again. Goku wonders about the fact that he isn’t questioning that they attacked him, only _why_ they did. As his eyes move back up to look at him, he wonders about Vegeta’s intentions in being here, more than a little suspicious. His fingers itch to grab a hold of him; to lift his face to his and kiss him boldly; to press their bodies together and forget the conversation Vegeta supposedly came here for.

Shaking his head but squaring his shoulders as he tried to understand what this is really about, he tells him, “I refused to leave so they could train alone.” His emotions were bristling at the natural challenging aura Vegeta’s oozing with, even if he does look so open and inviting in his body language. A moment ago, he had touched his face so gently, something he would never do unless they were alone, meanwhile, something in his eyes is demanding an explanation and he seems intent on getting answers, but Goku just can’t believe that’s all he came here for. He wants to believe otherwise, of course, that he came here because he couldn’t stay away and he needed an excuse, but internally Goku’s lesser desires were all but begging him to just go, and he wondered if Vegeta could tell how much he’s arguing with himself. How much he’s struggling to just stay the short distance away that he is. It’s easier to say less when he’s feeling so much.

Vegeta downs his drink, setting his glass aside, then he looks back up at Goku with a quirked brow, and asks, affrontingly, “Are you trying to cause problems? Is that it?”

“No,” Goku argues, and then he asks, unable to help it, “Are you here to tell me I’m in trouble? Because they already talked to me about it.”

Vegeta slaps him. It reminds Goku of when they first met, and his eyes come back to meet Vegeta’s with the same determination as they had that night, if not more. His chest heaved as his heart rate rose and he dared to step closer. He nearly towered over the other man, but Vegeta didn’t back down, not that he had anywhere to go, his lower back was already pressed into the siding of the countertop. Vegeta’s eyes flickered downward before scanning back up to settle on Goku’s gaze.

Silence between them was nearly the same as screaming.

Finally, Vegeta says, seemingly amused, “You’re feisty, tonight.”

Goku shrugs at that and replies, “Maybe,” but he leans in a little more and adds, “Or maybe you’re trying to bring it out of me.”

Vegeta only smirks and looks him up and down again, as though he’s considering a fight, or something else.

Goku asks directly, too scorned to be satisfied in replying with kindness, “So… Did I answer all your questions?”

Vegeta crosses his arms and says, “You do know you work for me?” and he eyes him closely, gauging his reactions, “It’s my right to know if there’s anything going on with my men to cause them to behave… inappropriately. And from what I understand, today was not the first time you’ve lashed out. No, you decided to fight Leno out in _public_. I can only imagine what he did to deserve that, not that it’s upsetting. You’ve somehow managed to lure a crowd around you in the training room whenever you go there, and now you’ve succeeded in pissing off some of my Elites enough to get yourself jumped,” he pauses to chuckle, “Is there anything I’ve missed?”

Goku replies evenly, “No, I think that covers it, but I don’t get what’s so weird about any of that? I told you I like to train, and if someone comes up to me wanting a fight, I’m not gonna back down, regardless of the reason.” Like right now, for instance. Vegeta’s being so cavalier, what does he expect him to say? Goku isn’t one for verbal confrontations, really, he’s more the physical type, and right now he doesn’t know if he wants to fight Vegeta, or pick him up, carry him back to his bedroom, and fuck him, breakup be damned.

Vegeta uncrossed his arms and shifted his position against the counter slightly as he answered with a smoothly delivered air of indifference, “Yes, but I think I should know the whole story if I’m going to have to be the one making decisions about what happens to you because of your grievances.”

Goku couldn’t help his smile, and he retorts, “It doesn’t really matter what I tell you, though, does it? You’re gonna do whatever you want to do anyways,” Vegeta glared at him thoughtfully as he added, “Aren’t you?” Vegeta only stared at him, though, while a small smirk tugged at his lips.

The Prince lifts up from his place for a moment, eyeing Goku closely as he reaches around him, picking up the bottle of liquor. He pours himself another drink, foregoing the mixer, then he tops off Goku’s glass as well. Goku could only watch, still unnerved by his appearance in his room and this sudden exchange, or whatever this is.

Vegeta set the bottle down and leans back up against the counter as though this is _his_ kitchen. His movements were so nonchalant, in fact, that it made Goku’s desire to get to the bottom of this conversation triple, and although he’s angry, his desire for the Prince was threating to overrule him.

Vegeta reveals, continuing their chat as though there’s nothing else going on, “I read the reports and the cameras said enough. I know you didn’t start the fight. They know you didn’t start the fight. They just want to know _why_ the fight began, and _why_ it got so serious,” he smirked at him for a second, but then his expression changed more somber as he added, “And I want to know what was said… before you went ballistic.”

Goku took a long drink and refused to answer while looking away. How could he tell him that man dared to compare himself to him? He supposed it shouldn’t have bothered him so much, but it did. How was he supposed to explain any of that? The liquor burned down his throat as Goku internally deliberated a way to get out of answering, and he knew the alcohol wasn’t helping him gather his thoughts, at least, not appropriately.

The silence between them, although stifling, felt oddly satisfying.

Vegeta quipped, demanding his attention, “You’re making this entirely too difficult.”

Goku’s eyes shifted back to his as he proclaimed, “You’ve already made it impossible.”

Vegeta smirked again as he looked Goku over, up, and down, before staring at him deeper. Then he stepped closer, pushing off of the counter, and wondered, eyeing Goku’s face considerably, “Direct, aren’t you? I suppose you know that’s not the only reason I’m here.”

Goku’s eyes widened a little bit, and he watched him, waiting for him to tell him the truth behind his visit.

Vegeta growled, “You still don’t get it, do you?”

“Get what, your Highness?” Goku replied stiffly.

Vegeta snipped, “Have I not given you enough time to think about it?”

Goku licked his lips as he thought of what to say, and what he meant, but Vegeta is so close to him, now, in no way intimidated by Goku’s refusal to back down to him or hindered by any awkwardness that _should_ have been between them. Goku just kept looking at his lips, and his eyes, and his only coherent thought was that this kitchen is much smaller with two people in it, and it’s getting hotter in here by the second. He answered, “I’ve… been busy,” but they both knew it was a lie, and that he just couldn’t think of anything else to say.

Vegeta said, his voice serious and his eyes set on his, “My lament, Kakarot, have you thought about it at all? Or were you serious about yours? Are you satisfied with yourself?”

Refusing to play along, while trying to stand up for himself, and not really understanding why Vegeta’s bringing _everything_ up, again, Goku only replied, “I can handle myself just fine.”

Vegeta smirked, twisting his words, “I can do it better.”

Goku’s lips parted through his arousal while breathing down at him, and he took another drink in his reluctance to reply, because if he did, he could only agree.

Vegeta added, dropping his voice to a lower decibel, “Do you want me to leave?”

“No,” Goku admitted.

Vegeta smirked, “But you have nothing to say?” and he took a drink.

“Why are you here? I don’t get it,” Goku finally asked, huffing a little bit in his impatience.

Vegeta looked away and admitted, “I told you, I needed to make an informed decision. Time is not a luxury I can spare.”

“So you decided to waste mine?” Goku pouted, assuming Vegeta is just toying with him.

Vegeta bit back, “It seems I’m wasting my own. I could get in trouble for being here, you know, in the halls of the Guards, in the middle of night. Does my risk mean nothing to you?”

Goku asked smartly, “Maybe it would, if I didn’t believe you were hiding your footprints.”

Vegeta smirked at him and said, “So what if I am?”

Goku countered, “Did you destroy all the cameras on your way over?” but he felt like he was miserably failing at trying to ward him off. No, this was more like flirting than anything else.

Vegeta replied admittingly, lifting his chin upwards as he leaned in closer, “Not exactly.”

Goku was engulfed by him. He opened his mouth and tried to ask again what he’s doing here but closed it again as he leaned forward. He was trying to corner him, but as he closed the distance between them, his question morphed, and his willpower waned. He argued openly, “What do you want?”

“I told you, time is short, and I had to see you.”

“Well, here I am. Now what?”

Vegeta kissed him decidedly on the lips and when he separated from him, he said nothing.

Goku paused and considered acting upon the impulse of what he knew would be damning to him if he went along with Vegeta’s courting. He wasn’t completely taken off guard, but he was more expectant than he would have surmised himself to be, wanting him more than he knew he should. Still he answered, trying to keep his foothold in the conversation, although he was confused by his own emotions coupled with Vegeta’s incensing actions, “What is that supposed to prove to me?”

Vegeta set down his drink and kissed him again as a reply. This intimacy was like nothing between them before, it was softer and more sensual, not so rushed, or frantic. Goku managed to put his glass down and then he reached out for him, gripping his arm with strength and longing as they restarted what he felt should have never stopped.

When Vegeta pulled away he asked him, “What are you doing to me, Kakarot?”

His good sense coming back to him, Goku bluffed, “Nothing. I don’t want to do this with you, again.”

“Yes, you do,” Vegeta claimed, and he pulled him back in with the gentle grasp of his face, “ _I_ do.” Another brush of their lips came on, just as chastely, just as coyly, just as simply as a moment ago.

Goku whispered, “What does it matter?” Meanwhile the gentle caresses of their lips in between their words meant more than the conversation.

Vegeta admitted, “I don’t want it to stop.”

“I,” Goku breathed, still kissing him, “I don’t either,” That’s not what he should be saying, but their bodies were pressing together, and their lips wouldn’t stop meeting long enough to end their discussion.

Vegeta panted, “But I do like it when you argue with me,” and he went to kiss down Goku’s neck.

Goku tried to pull back again, trying to get a hold of himself, as he said, “Well, that’s not a problem between us, is it?” and he moaned as Vegeta’s lips travelled lower. Then he grabbed a hold of Vegeta’s hands, taking them off of his body, he put them down at his sides, and he pushed him back into the counter, looking him in the eyes again as he said, “This is why you came here? Because you want me even after you told me to stay away? You know we can’t do this.”

“Shut up,” Vegeta scoffed, but it was playful, and he removed his hands from Goku’s grasp easily, wrapping them around his waist as he moved in to kiss him again.

Goku couldn’t help it as he kissed him back gingerly, but eventually he pulled away once more and said, “You’re getting married…”

Vegeta looked off to the side and then back at him as he answered, “She has nothing to do with you.”

Goku narrowed his eyes at him and said, “That’s fine, but this isn’t,” even as he presses his body closer, he commands, “Stop taking advantage of me.”

Vegeta only kisses him though, turned on by his aggression, and unable to stop himself. Goku doesn’t understand why he can say one thing, but he can’t seem to follow up with it with his body’s response, and so he finds himself with his hands all over Vegeta again, and his lips desperate to taste him.

Vegeta admits as Goku’s mouth goes to taste his neck, “I’m the one at a disadvantage here.”

Goku pulls back and finds that he’s stumped as he stares into his eyes. Here he is, again, speaking beautiful words, but what’s to come of it? One more night in bed together? One more evening of passion and pleasure? And then a lifetime of regret?

Vegeta pulls him down into yet another kiss, and Goku thinks, _‘No, not regret...’_ He groans into his lips, grinding against him with need. “Vegeta…” he whispers, as he wonders where his self-control has gone. Then he pulls away one last time and says, “We shouldn’t be doing this.”

Vegeta whispers back, smirking, “You don’t have to argue with me about _everything_ ,” and he locks their lips again, and wraps his tail around his waist.

Goku gave in and he embraced him fully. He couldn’t help it. He wants him, needs him, and before he knew it, they began to remove their own clothes. He didn’t know why this was happening, but he wasn’t willing to hinder his advances any longer. He suddenly understood what they meant, his friends back home, whenever they would pine about being so in love, unable to think straight or act right about someone who didn’t love them back. He would argue, _‘Why are you so hung up on them? Let it go! Don’t let them have such a hold on you!’_ Oh, but he understands now, he finally gets it, because here he is, and he can’t stop. He can’t say no. He doesn’t want to.

They left their shirts and Vegeta’s armor in the kitchen as Goku picks Vegeta up and carries him to his bedroom. He presses him onto the bed and they hastily remove every other article of clothing, never completely breaking bodily contact.

This is so different, though, from every other time. The caressing is gentler, but the pressure behind it more deliberate, and as Goku found himself beneath Vegeta, as Vegeta flipped their positions effortlessly, he could think of nothing else. They took their time and it was time well spent.

From Goku’s strong, large hands gripping Vegeta’s trim waist unabashed, to the gyrations of Vegeta’s hips against his, every moment was so fulfilling, and honest, and raw. From the way Goku sucked Vegeta’s cock, giving it everything he had with an intensity even he himself didn’t know he had, to the way Vegeta talked dirty to him, and flirted with him in a manner obscene and yet dignified.

To say they enjoyed themselves would be an understatement of mass proportions. Goku didn’t know what to say in reply to Vegeta’s quips sometimes, but he knew how to respond physically. He wasn’t afraid to stop everything just to watch Vegeta get frustrated while he teased him, only to start up with more fervency. Vegeta felt Goku’s intimate touch like a tingling crawling through his body he couldn’t quell, and it drove him crazy, making him squirm in a way he’s never known before, but he knew just how far to push Goku’s limits, playing with his tail experimentally while he fucked him, and making him pant with need before making him to beg for release. The two extremes coupled together made for an intimacy that had no rival.

After they got off the first time, Vegeta stirred Goku on for another round, in which the younger man obliged him with more gusto than he should have had the energy for, and they switched and tried more positions, from laying on their sides, where Goku’s hand lifted one of Vegeta’s legs as he pounded into him, and then moved him into different positions until he was pressing him into the bed so roughly that the furniture around them began to shake before Goku insisted they move once again. They took to standing up and bending over his dresser, and then to facing one another while Vegeta clung to the doorway. Goku wondered briefly if anyone could hear them, but Vegeta clearly didn’t care.

Then, after they were finished, they went for a third time, where they spent a good stretch of the night exploring the intricacies of one another’s bodies, and the angles of penetration, not to mention the power behind each thrust, and the flushing of their faces, with more attention to detail than casual fucking calls for.

And for the first time when everything was over, Vegeta stayed for a while, but still, neither of them felt like it was enough. Goku wanted to try more things, and spend more time with him, like they had been doing before it all ended, and Vegeta wanted to know more about him, to get to know him personally, like they haven’t had the time to do. Yet, there wasn’t much to say between them. Vegeta obsessed over him, and Goku found contentedness with him, and that seemed to be enough to quell their minds for now, at least Goku’s.

It was nearing morning, though, and it became clear that Goku was about to pass out, and Vegeta knew he had to leave soon. He didn’t want to run off, and he rubbed his eyes in disbelief and frustration. He really didn’t want to go.

Goku was just about to fall asleep when Vegeta finally told him, grunting, “I’m not a drunk, by the way.”

Goku grinned and rolled over, crushing him beneath his body. He nuzzled into his neck and whispered, “I know.”

Vegeta growled at him to get off, but Goku didn’t budge, and the Prince noticed his tail swaying lazily and happily behind him, and so he sighed and let it be.

“Vegeta?” Goku asked after another few minutes in quiet, and he yawned as he received a short grumble in reply. He wondered quietly, muttering into his neck, “Are you going to live on Earth?” but he didn’t even know exactly what he meant by that question.

Vegeta smirked, thinking that he knew exactly what he meant, and he told him, “No. No I’m not.”

Goku didn’t reply, he was too tired, but he smiled, and he fell asleep soon afterwards.

That fucking asshole. He’s the worst. The _worst._ But Goku couldn’t hate him. He couldn’t even really be mad at him, not without being mad at himself. He knew that he was going back to the Earth. He knew they couldn’t be together. He told him it wasn’t going to work out! He even kept saying he didn’t have a lot of time… How could Goku know that what he really meant is that he would be leaving the _very next day_.

Fucking asshole. Why would he do that to him? How selfish! How cruel! What was the point of last night?! Just to fuck with him? Or more likely, to _fuck_ him, period?! Was he trying to play emotional games or was he just trying to get what he wanted out of him in that moment? Did he do it just to see if he could? Or because he just doesn’t care about anyone else but himself? Is everything he says a complete lie? And everything he does a deceptive cover up of his narcissistic personality?

When Goku had first woken up, he was in a great mood. Yeah, Vegeta was gone, but he figured he would go like that. He looked around his room at the mess they’d made of it and actually smiled and blushed a little bit at himself for letting things get so out of hand. He reminisced on many of the moments from their rendezvous and couldn’t help the feeling of satisfaction from it all. Not just from their actions, but from their conversation, what he could remember of it, anyways.

Sure, his body was sore, but it was a good kind of sore. Images of the memories of slamming Vegeta’s back against the wall, or Vegeta pressing him into the headboard were making him hard all over again. He got up to use the restroom and wasn’t surprised at all to find several marks on his body as he passed a mirror. He was actually kind of proud of them, though he still didn’t know what had come over him to give into the other man like that. But Vegeta had come to _him_ , and that made it a little better in his mind.

He threw on some sweatpants and headed to the kitchen to get some water when he heard a transmission beeping in on his scouter from the bedroom. At first, he ignored it, he’s not on duty, so what should it matter to him what they were saying. Then his phone started blowing up almost immediately after his scouter had gone off, and it wasn’t stopping. He went back to his bedroom to find the buzzing and ringing objects and he picked up his phone first and unlocked it to see that it was a group text from his coworkers wondering why the hell the Prince left to go to Earth again so soon. He nearly choked on the water he was drinking as he quickly found his scouter to listen to the message. That’s when he realized that it was already one in the afternoon, and that he’d slept half the day away, and he had other messages on his phone from his father and his brother, which he ignored, entirely unable to deal with them right now, and yet another text from Hanes telling him that Prince Vegeta had cleared his name before he left, and that he still had his job and wouldn’t have to pay for the training hall, but he’s still being punished with two weeks off without pay.

Goku was pissed. Nothing mattered to him at that point. So what if he has two weeks off? There’s no Prince to defend the life of here anyways?! And that _Prince_ is an asshole if he’s ever met one. He turned his phone off and let his emotions run their course, grateful that he had the time off to do so. He could avoid everyone, and no one could question him about his emotional state, which was pitiful. At least, it was for the first two days after he heard the news. All he did was lay around in his room, going from the bed to the couch and then back again, and eating barely enough to survive, which was hardly anything because he’s terrible at grocery shopping.

That morning had just been a slap in the face, a virtual one to match Vegeta’s physical abuse. How could he allow himself to do that when he knew better?! He knew better! He has no one to blame but himself, and that only made it hurt more.

By the time he got around to feeling good enough to deal with everyone’s opinions, he picked up his phone again and read through what everyone had been saying. He saw that Vegeta had picked a different set of men to go with him for this trip, and obviously those men were still travelling to Earth so they had no way of letting the rest of the men know what’s going on. They didn’t know anything else and the conversation quickly turned to their normal banter before it died off altogether.

All of their messages have gone ignored for two days now, and he hoped they would just assume he didn’t have any answers at his silence. He was in trouble with their bosses, anyways, and they _all_ knew that much.

To make matters worse within Goku’s mind, though, the fact that Vegeta had taken the time to clear his name with Hanes and Jero about the fight bothered him. And everything he’d said about not wanting it to stop between them and how _he’s_ the one at a disadvantage… Ugh! It was driving Goku crazy and he just didn’t understand, but he knew he couldn’t stay like this forever and he certainly wasn’t going to let himself go to waste over it.

He decided it was time to read what Raditz and Bardock had to say, but once he did, he tossed his phone across the floor again and went back to sleep.

**Raditz:**

_Little brother! Stop causing problems! OR ELSE._

_Hello?!_

_Seriously?!_

_I know how to find you!_

_RUDE._

_Call me_

_Pancakes_

_Hello?_

_YOU ARE SUCH A BRAT!_

**Bardock:**

_Kakarot… you ok?_

_You definitely need to get out for a little while, son…_

_Go have some fun. Maybe you can go back home and see some of your friends…?_

_Goku?_

Zuko knocked on his door on the third day he’d locked himself away, demanding to come inside to talk. Goku let him in but grew nervous as he entered. He hasn’t showered or kept himself up at all, and he was pretty sure he still smelled like sex, and he was pretty sure his place smelled like Vegeta. Zuko didn’t mention anything, though, even as he eyed him closely.

He simply said, “Man, you look rough! You can’t be that upset about getting in trouble? Don’t beat yourself up over those pricks, Goku. Trust me, we all get into trouble every once in a while. They want us to be robots, you know, perfect obedient slaves, but hell, we’re Saiyans, and they understand that sometimes things can get a little out of control. Besides. You get some time off, we all do, really. Work without Prince Vegeta is actually kind of nice. Hey, you read all those messages, right? So weird! Do you know what’s going on?”

Goku smiled at him through his distress and said, yawning, and scratching the back of his head, “Hm? Mmm, I guess more training than working, right, since he’s left? Uh, no, I don’t.”

Zuko rolled his eyes, and replied, “Yeah, pretty much. And the schedule changes to something more normal since we’re not being scattered to suit his schedule. I honestly don’t know how he does it. It would suck to be him, really.”

Goku yawned again while avoiding a response as his stomach growled.

Zuko grinned, “Come on, get dressed and meet me at the gates. And take a quick shower, first, but I’m not sure that will help you with your hair,” he joked, “I’m off today, and the weather is finally getting really nice! Let’s get out of here.”

Goku nods and agrees to go along with him.

He’s grateful for the Guard and their friendship, more than he thought he would be, and now more than ever. They were easy-going men and women, most of them, especially when it came to their own, and they seemed to think more of their own lives than anyone else’s which meant a lot to Goku. Sure, that really means that they were self-centered, but Goku would rather have self-centered people around him than people who are nosy and always into someone else’s business. He’s a little self-centered, too, it’s what helps him focus on training and becoming the best that he can be, and it helps him to not worry about the small things or dwell on shortcomings for too long. It’s what gets him out of his head and keeps him more concerned about the next challenge than the ones he’s currently facing, whatever they may be.

Or maybe that’s mostly a Saiyan trait. Maybe most Saiyans only care about themselves and their inner circle and they don’t waste their time with idle chit chat or gossip, not for long, anyways. At least, they didn’t used to, but things are changing. Their whole world is changing, and it’s about to get a lot smaller, or bigger, depending on how you look at it.

A month has gone by and Vegeta must have arrived on Earth by now, since transmissions finally came back to the rest of the Guard, but the men with Vegeta didn’t know why he was there and so nothing new has surfaced as of yet. It was only a matter of time, though, Goku was certain, but he couldn’t let himself be bothered by it. Actually, he was glad he wasn’t being completely sidelined by the news, but he kept it to himself, nonetheless.

He finally got back to his brother, but he only replied to tell him that he was sorry he didn’t reply in the first place. Raditz had already moved on, though, and he didn’t say much. He didn’t want to talk anymore apparently, and neither did Goku, so it worked out. He got back to his father, too, sending him pictures of him out with some of the Guard, having fun, to which Bardock responded with a quick thumbs up and that was it.

Goku wasn’t expecting a call from Dr. Buro, though, which he missed since he was busy with training, but once he got the voicemail from him asking him to come and see him at his mansion that night, he was way too curious to even consider turning him down, and so that’s where he was heading, right now.

Their hello was brief, and the doctor led him through his house as quickly as he usually does, asking him how’s he’s been and all of the normalcies that usual coincide with such a visit. Goku answered him politely, and, being upfront as he is, asked him what this is about.

The doctor smiled at him and said, “The Gravity Machine is ready, I believe. His Highness left before I could finish the updates, but I figured you’d like to give it a go, hmm?”

Goku’s face lit up and he thanked the doctor for thinking of him and said he would love to try it out again.

The doctor sighed, “Prince Vegeta had given me another project in the middle of this one, yes? You remember, I’m sure. At our dinner before he left, I had told him that both of the schematics were going to take a while longer than he might like. Ahh, but he didn’t seem too upset. Impatient, of course, hmm, but I don’t think he can help it,” and he smiled at Goku, “Did he tell you about the second plan for development?”

“Huh?!” Goku wondered in surprise, as they finally reached his labs, “Um, no?”

“Oh?! I thought he might have,” Dr. Buro smiled, his intelligent face staring at Goku’s blank one. He said, “Well, he wanted me to find a way to make travel between Earth and Planet Vegeta faster, among other things, yes. But that was his main objective. I had at first wondered why and was even surprised that he thought I could manage such a thing! We have come so far, already, but then again, I know that he has plans with Earth that haven’t been announced yet, hmm. That’s why he went for the first time, isn’t it? And that’s why he’s gone back, no?”

Goku nodded, feeling as though he couldn’t lie to him, although he wasn’t so quick to give up anything. He shrugged under the Doctors intense scrutiny, and said, “I believe so, Dr. Buro.”

The doctor smiled at him all the more and replied, “Well! Since I have you here let’s give it a go, shall we?”

Goku smiled and obliged as he stepped into the all but too familiar machine, eager to begin.

He trained inside for some time, impressed by the weight being forced upon him, and the difficulty of simple movements the more pressure was added to his body. He told the doctor to turn it up a little bit more, and then a little more, and then a little more, until he felt as though he might collapse if he didn’t use his full concentration on every movement he made. It was sensational. Just walking around was difficult, but he attempted kicks and punches, nonetheless. The harder he went at it, the more he could tell that the benefit of this machine was well worth the wait. It was much more powerful than the one on Earth, and well-constructed to say the least.

Goku was just getting used to the ebb and flow, his entire body dripping with sweat when he heard the doctor’s voice come in through the speakers inside. The doctor asked, “Had enough?!”

Goku nodded reluctantly, and Dr. Buro turned off the machine and let Goku’s body have a break. When he came out of it, he felt light, like he could jump to the moon with no problem at all and he grinned wildly at the other man.

“Impressed?” Geredi smiled at him.

“Yes!” Goku laughed, “It’s amazing!”

Dr. Buro didn’t tell him that he was impressed with him, too. He had hit a level the Doctor hadn’t dreamed of him taking the machine, at least, not at this point in their training. He was moving around inside in what was nearly eighty times Earth’s gravity, but the Doctor didn’t tell him that. Instead he offered, “Why don’t you and I go and get something to eat, hmm? I’ve already got our cooks whipping something up.”

“Sounds great!” Goku yipped, “But, uh, can I wash up first?”

The doctor nodded and showed him the showers nearby, giving him another training uniform to change into once he was finished, and a bag to put his dirty clothes in.

Their dinner was nice, and the doctor offered the young man to share a bottle of wine with him and Goku drank plenty and wolfed down the food like he hadn’t eaten in days, not giving the Doctor a chance to really ask him anything, and although Geredi was dying to interrogate the young man, hoping that the wine and food would loosen him up a bit, something about him kept his questions at bay, at first.

He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he didn’t want to drill the man for answers as much as he’d initially planned to, not now that he’s sitting before him, eating happily, if not a little crudely. There was something about Goku that was just too sweet to be taken advantage of, still the Doctor was determined to speak to him more intimately. He figured that while he didn’t need to know his secrets that badly, and that he _could_ let him have his peace for a little while longer, his curiosity would eventually get the better of him and he’d be disappointed if he let him leave without at least trying. He has him here _now_ , so he found himself taking his chances at finding out what he wanted to know, anyways.

As they were finishing up, and Goku wasn’t eating as though he was about to die, and he was smiling lazily at the buzz of good wine, Geredi finally spoke up, saying, “I wouldn’t mind if you came by to use the machine, yes? Whenever you’d like.”

“Really?!” Goku replied, surprised, “That’d be awesome! Thank you!”

Geredi smirked, “Good! I’ll tell my servants that you’ll be coming by more often. Just be sure to let someone know when you leave. I put a life alert system in the machine, as well, it watches your vitals, so that someone here will be notified if anything happens to you inside.”

“Sounds great!” Goku said enthusiastically.

“Honestly,” Geredi added, “I need to make sure that it’s good to go, and so the more it gets used, the better I’ll feel about sending it off to the castle, since it’s going to be a wedding present to his Highness, no?”

Goku stopped eating entirely and felt himself go a little stiff, but again, he couldn’t lie to the doctor. He kind of reminds him of his father, and he _is_ part of his family now, so he simply nodded and said, “That makes sense,” He tried to sound chipper, but he was certain his tone wasn’t convincing. He wondered how the doctor knew about the wedding, of course, but he didn’t think lying to him was smarter than owning up to his knowledge of it.

“Ahh,” Geredi smiled, “I thought you knew. I know it’s still a secret from most of the world, or worlds I should say, but I had a feeling Prince Vegeta had a confidant in you, hmm? With the way you two behaved the last time you were here,” the Doctor’s eyes bore into his unceasingly. Goku couldn’t help but gulp a little bit at that remark and avoid his gaze sheepishly. Geredi wondered, pushing the topic, “You two seem close?”

The young man laughed to put himself at ease and smiled, quickly trying to play everything off when he noticed Dr. Buro was still staring at him. He said, “Yeah?” scratching the back of his head, “I guess so, but, it’s not like that. I mean, we’re not… close. I-I just sort of found out… about the wedding… while we were there…” and he looked away and took a drink.

“Is that so?” Dr. Buro wondered, watching him, and he added decidedly, smiling a little bit, “I thought perhaps there was more to it than that. That was some time ago, and, after all, you haven’t told anyone what you know, hmm. Keeping a secret like _that_ says more about your character than I think you realize, unless, there is something _else_ , something you’re trying to hide? Surely,” he laughed, “everyone at the castle must have asked you about what you were doing on Earth.” Goku smiled guiltily as the Doctor added, “Why wouldn’t you consider yourself to be a friend of the Royal House if nothing else?”

“Oh, I,” Goku stammered, “I am! But… His business is not mine to tell.”

The doctor smiled at him, “And so what do you think of this marriage, hmm?”

“I, um,” Goku’s heart skipped a few beats in its race to regain control of itself, and he said, meekly, “I thinks it’s… great.”

The Doctor nodded, as though what he’d said was perfectly acceptable and true, and then he asked, “What does his Highness think of it?”

“Huh?!” Goku wondered, unable to keep up with how fast Dr. Buro was pressing for information.

Geredi smiled, “Bulma Briefs must be something special if he chose her, or perhaps it’s the company he’s after. I wouldn’t blame him if it is. I was always under the impression that Prince Vegeta didn’t want to get married, but I guess the King finally convinced him that it was time.”

Goku could not respond. He had nothing to say. He simply looked down at his plates and wondered how the doctor had perceived all of this and why he was even bringing it up, and to him of all people.

Dr. Buro’s laughter brought him back to reality though, and he looked up at him just as the Doctor said, “If you’re trying to hide your feelings, you’re doing a terrible job of it. Cheer up, young man. It’s not the end of the world. Or, worlds.”

“Hm?!” Goku blustered, “What do you mean? I---”

“As much as we Saiyans claim to have avoided it over the years, we are all fools when it comes to love, aren’t we? We can’t stop it from happening. And that’s a good thing! Our race would end otherwise, yes? But it does tend to hit us at all the wrong times.”

“L-Love? I… don’t know what you’re talking about,” and he blushed in spite of himself.

Dr, Buro chuckled again as he took a sip of his wine and said, “You’re a terrible liar! But I must say I’m not surprised at all, by what he must see in you.”

Goku choked, “Dr. Buro, please, I-”

He nodded at him, “Hmm, I’m older than I look you know, and when you’ve seen so much, you tend to have an eye for this sort of thing.”

“But I- Prince Vegeta and I-”

“Are lovers?” Dr. Buro smiled, refusing to let him deny it, and Goku was stunned into silence by his own shock and could say nothing in reply, but his face apparently said enough. The Doctor added, speaking gently to him, “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

Goku replied, “Listen, I-I told you, it’s, we’re,” he gave up, “He’s getting married.”

“Yes,” the Doctor nodded, “Yes he is,” Goku’s face was nearly indiscernible in his emotions as he tried to hide them so desperately and the Doctor took pity on him and sighed, saying, “I’m sorry I forced it out of you like that, but I was too certain of it to not get a confirmation, and I found it rather fascinating when I first noticed it. Hmm.”

Goku looked away and couldn’t get a grip. He didn’t understand how the two of them had apparently been so transparent that day around him. Or perhaps it really was just as he’d said, and he only perceived them because of his own wisdom and not because they had given themselves away at all. Still, he didn’t know what it mattered, but he began to wonder who else could tell that he’s in love with Prince Vegeta, and he felt stupid for even admitting to such a thing, especially after how badly his heart has been broken.

The Doctor eyed him closely and said, “It’s important that you let him walk away, hmm? I think you’ve realized that, no?”

Goku sat back in his seat, feeling completely exposed, and upon finally getting a chance to discuss this topic that he’s been avoiding, even with himself, he admitted, “Yes,” and his heart panged at the revelation, but he felt a strange calm come over him, regardless.

Dr. Buro nodded at him, but said, “I think it’s interesting, don’t you? How two people can suddenly care for another and yet everything between them can go wrong, even when it seems right. Sometimes we don’t understand _them_ , and sometimes we don’t know why we do the things **we** do. Life is strange like that.” He suddenly changed the topic, stating, “Hmm, I will admit that I wish Minala had brought Raditz around sooner,” he chuckled, “I knew she was in love but I didn’t have a clue about the man she’d fallen for, and believe me I was curious about him.” He tutted, “And then come to find out why he never came to meet me! Hmm, I didn’t know that he was so afraid of me all this time. I guess I didn’t know that I was so intimidating to her suitors! But there was never any reason for that. Not when you’re being genuine, yes?”

Goku turned to look at him and listen, but he didn’t fully understand. He nodded, though, and said, happy for the conversation to no longer be about himself, “Raditz loves her very much. I think that maybe he wouldn’t have minded meeting you so much if he loved her less.”

Geredi’s smile broadened as he said, “And what timing, no?! Coming to meet me after he’d already gotten her pregnant and before marrying her! That could have ended disastrously,” he smirked, and winked at Goku cunningly.

Goku smiled and said, “Yes, that definitely didn’t help his nerves.”

Dr. Buro stretched his neck, popping it, and replied, “All is well that’s meant to be so, though, young man. Now they’re finally getting married, and they will have a fine time with themselves raising their little one. I think we often forget to take things a day at a time. We’re too busy planning for tomorrow. There’s time yet, for you. Don’t rush it.”

Goku replied, feeling a little bit more at ease somehow, “I’m definitely a one day at a time guy, haha, I guess I can’t help it.”

Dr. Buro nodded, “Yes, hmm, there’s nothing wrong with that.”

The conversation died down quickly after that, and Goku thanked him again for his hospitality and his offer to let him train in his machine, and he left as quickly as he could without being rude. The kind doctor didn’t seem to mind him at all. He simply stared at him with that same intense and watchful gaze and Goku felt small in his eyes but not uncomfortable, despite having just been discovered by him.

On his way back to the castle Goku couldn’t help but wonder about the change in pace from one day to the next, as the doctor had brought up. One day he’s pining over Vegeta, the next he is putting it aside. The next it gets brought back all over again, and the next, he’s able to let it be for a little while. He decided he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of his own happiness, no matter how often he’s reminded that he might not be able to get what he wants. If anything, he figured that the doctor was trying to tell him that somethings don’t work out according to plan, and that’s fine, and so, determined that he’s right, and that it’s going to be okay, he figured this is just another part of life, and he would just have to learn how to let this go. How to let _Vegeta_ go.

Another month went by and the only news they’ve heard of Vegeta from the Guard is that he’s heading back home. They told them nothing else, and Goku couldn’t tell if they knew about the wedding or not and he wondered when the dreaded announcement was going to be made and he counted the days down until Vegeta’s return subconsciously. The very thought of seeing him again put a sour taste in Goku’s mouth. He was apprehensive about that day more than anything, but, in conjunction with the spreading news of Prince’s return, so were the invitations circling for his brother’s wedding, which was to occur around the same time as the Prince’s arrival.

Goku assumed Raditz and Vegeta were talking because he wouldn’t have his wedding, which the Prince paid for, without the Prince being able to attend. He knew without a doubt that the Prince would be there that day and it made him sick to his stomach to think about, regardless of the distractions of being whisked off by all of Raditz’s friends for fittings of their suits and plans for the bachelor party and gifts and the works.

It was a strange time in Goku’s life, really. His birthday was just last week, and he’s finally got a good, respectable job, where he’s closer to his family. He’s an uncle, and he gets to see Radom every once in a while. His brother is getting married and he’s finally fallen in love himself, but as happy as he is overall, the love-life issue he’s having is causing problems he’d only ever vaguely considered before.

With each passing day of training and relaxing intermittently he’s growing more and more anxious at the thought of seeing Vegeta and having to speak with him one on one, which he knows can’t be avoided forever. He wished Vegeta had told him he _was_ going to live on the Earth, after all, at least then he could pretend to see him again as nothing more than an acquaintance and let bygones be bygones. He began to believe that eventually the Prince would kick him off of his guard and then he could be separated from his dilemma entirely and have a chance at some sort of normalcy in life.

When has he ever wished for _that?!_ What’s happening to him? Is it because life at the castle runs so smoothly and most of them are so well settled that he’s finally beginning to start thinking about settling down himself? Or is it because being jilted himself for once has finally caused him to learn that fucking around is not a way of life and that it’s never going to satisfy him the way that being in a long-term relationship could.

 _‘What is wrong with me?’_ Goku thought to himself. It hasn’t even been a year since he’s gotten out of the army, yet here he is, finally thirty years old, and he’s actually thinking about being an adult. He had a feeling that his intentions for maturing weren’t the right ones though, and that even if that is what he’s really interested in doing, he doesn’t know the first way to go about settling down. He was still much to busy focusing on himself and trying to get Vegeta out of his head.

Actually, he was fairly sure he wouldn’t be able to commit to anything for long enough to keep him grounded in one place as it is. He had thought he might with Vegeta, for some reason, in the back of his mind, anyways, but just as Vegeta’s gotten him to think about the seriousness of the relationships he’s creating, he’s also caused him to believe that he’ll forever be restless and incapable of being tied down or broken into some tamer version of the animal that he knows deep down that he is.

He was thankful for the distraction of the wedding though. The whole castle is buzzing about it just as much as they are beginning to talk about Prince Vegeta’s return, and Goku felt strange being on the other side of the scenario this time around. Is this what it was like for them the last time they were all waiting for his arrival? He could only guess.

Were they going to have another party? He could only hope to the contrary, but he doubted his hopes mattered and he figured he ought to prepare at least mentally to possibly work the night of his arrival. He had to admit, though, life has been so interesting ever since he moved into the castle, but he wasn’t so sure he wanted to stay here forever. It’s fun while he’s young, sure, but maybe one day he could retire, and finally have the time to just be himself, and all he really wanted to do was exist. It sounds so simple and silly, but he didn’t see anything wrong with it. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to live a simple life. Maybe one day he’ll know what that’s like.

The day finally came when the Prince arrived back home, five days before Raditz’s wedding, just as Goku had suspected. The Guard was summoned together, and their supervisors informed them on who was required to work, and who was allotted the night off. Goku lucked out and didn’t have to work. He let out an inaudible sigh of relief as he began to walk away from the others and he told himself he wasn’t even going to go to the party, but he knew that if he didn’t, it would be more damning to his image of complacency without Vegeta than if he did, and he realized he’d be better off going, and simply ignoring, or more precisely, avoiding the Prince entirely, if he could even do such a thing.

Actually, he kind of wanted to go since he hasn’t had the chance to attend a celebration like this _without_ working, or being stuck in a regeneration tank, so the closer the time got to the party’s start, the more anticipation rose within him for executing his plan of letting go and having a good time. He dressed in something nice enough and headed out to meet Rictor, who also had the night off, and they went inside, and headed straight for the bar.

The Princes and the King were introduced as usual, and Goku half-expected Vegeta to make his announcement then, and he hid himself in the crowd, hoping to be out of sight when he told everyone the news. He never did, though. Even as the night wore on, and as Goku did his best to avoid him, he still noticed him at a distance and tried to ascertain his emotions from afar. Not once did Vegeta give the impression to any of his guests that he had something that he was hiding, or something that he was even the slightest bit eager to get off his chest. Although his hands were gloved, so if he _is_ wearing an engagement ring, no one would be able to see it, and shaking hands is not a custom on Planet Vegeta for anyone to feel it on his finger.

The night wore on, and Bardock eventually found Goku and threw his arm around his shoulder as he hollered for Raditz, who is always easy to spot, to come by and speak with them.

Goku said, “Ugh, Dad, Raditz’s excitement is getting on my nerves. I was trying to avoid him.”

Bardock chuckled and answered, “ _He’s_ who you’ve been avoiding, hmm? I was wondering why you’ve been running around in circles and going to dance every chance you get. I thought you were trying to embarrass the family name with your terrible moves, again.”

Goku laughed and shrugged his arm off his shoulder, “I dance better than Raditz,” he said loudly so that his brother could hear as he approached, and added, “Hopefully he took some lessons during all his prepping for the ceremony otherwise our good names will be tarnished beyond repair.”

“I heard that,” Raditz grinned down at him, “And I _have_ had some lessons, actually, but it’s not our name I’m worried about. I don’t want Minala to think of any reason to divorce me,” he joked and Bardock laughed, but then Raditz said, “What have you been up to, Goku? Trying to see if you can out grow your suit before my big night?”

Goku blushed. He has put on a few pounds, but with how much he’s been working out, it was to be expected. Dr. Buro’s machine had been one of his favorite things to use in his down time.

“I thought he looked a little more buff than usual, but I figured my eyes were just playing tricks on me,” Bardock smiled, “You’ve been working hard!”

“Come on, it’s not that noticeable,” Goku said shyly.

“You’ll never be as big as me,” Raditz snubbed.

“I bet it’s from eating so good, too,” Bardock grinned, “The army doesn’t feed you near as well as they do here, yeah?”

Goku blushed again and pushed for a change in conversation, which was easy enough to do. After a while he was so caught up in teasing Raditz about how nervous he must be for his wedding day that he didn’t notice the arrival of two other people coming up from behind him until it was too late.

“Commander Raditz!” Tarble smirked, interrupting Goku’s jabs at his brother, and Goku jumped a little at the sound of his voice and turned around wide-eyed to see both him and his brother joining them. The Son family bowed to them, meanwhile Vegeta’s eyes were looking off to the side, and his arms were crossed in front of his chest. Goku could only assume that he didn’t want to be there any more than he wanted to be there, too. Tarble, however, was unaware of the situation, or simply too stubborn to care, and he said to Raditz, “I’m so happy for you! I’m looking forward to your celebration!” Raditz thanked him, and Tarble looked up at Vegeta said, “Don’t you agree, brother?”

Vegeta’s eyes darted directly to Raditz, skipping over Goku completely and deliberately as he said, tersely, “Yes.”

Tarble grinned at him, and tried to push the conversation further, saying, “Unfortunately we won’t be able to join you at your bachelor party tomorrow night, but I wish we could! I’m sure you can’t wait to see what your friends have come up with.”

Raditz went completely red in the face at the amused look Bardock shot him, and he said, “Prince Tarble! Don’t embarrass me in front of my father! Who knows what sort of ideas they’ve conjured?”

Bardock laughed and said, “There’s no need to be embarrassed, but I will say I don’t need to know the details.”

Goku couldn’t help but laugh along with the rest of them, even as Vegeta smirked at Bardock and said, “I’m certain Raditz won’t remember anything of it to tell you, anyways, at least, if he does he’ll say he doesn’t if he knows what’s good for him,” then he looked at Raditz and said, lightheartedly, “And what of Minala’s plans?”

Raditz sputtered and Goku watched him, impressed with how quickly and easily Vegeta could embarrass him. He refused to look at Vegeta at all costs, though, and simply listened.

Bardock chuckled at Raditz, “You forgot about that, huh? Maybe you’ll keep yourself out of trouble by remembering that she’s going to be having a good time, herself,” and everyone laughed, again, some more than others. Actually, neither Goku nor Vegeta laughed really, they simply smiled or smirked and cast their eyes away from everyone else. Or at least, when they did look at one another, it wasn’t at the same time.

“Goku,” Tarble said, demanding his attention, “Who are you bringing to the wedding? As a date?”

“Oh,” Goku blushed. He hadn’t thought of it. He looked down and then back up at him quickly and answered honestly, “No one.”

Tarble said, motioning to his brother, “Vegeta doesn’t have a date either, then again, he would never ask anyone unless _forced_ to.”

Goku’s eyes flickered to Vegeta’s just as the Prince’s face showed that he was truly caught off guard by Tarble’s joke, and he wasn’t pleased. The elder Prince said, coming back to himself quickly, but clearly annoyed, “Who says you have to bring a date to a wedding?” Then he turned to Tarble and asked, “Do you have someone you’re taking? I’d be surprised if you do!”

Tarble sniggered at him and replied, “I do, actually! I always plan ahead for this type of thing.” Vegeta shot at skeptical glance at Raditz who merely chuckled in response, until Tarble added, “You know, you two should go together,” he gestured to between Goku and his brother, “It’s not right for him to go alone to his own brother’s wedding.”

The seriousness in Vegeta’s scolding gaze upon his brother was only lessened by the clear shock on his face in hearing such a suggestion come out of his mouth, and in front of company.

Goku chimed in, embarrassed enough for the both of them, saying, “I don’t mind going alone.” Vegeta finally looks over at him, but Goku avoids his gaze and stares intently at the younger Prince’s face, explaining, “After all, why should I pretend to be in a relationship just for one night? So no one will feel sorry for me?” he forced a small laugh, “I’d rather go alone.”

Tarble smiled at him with keen eyes and said, “I admire your contentment with yourself!”

Goku’s eyes blipped to Vegeta’s, who was finally staring back at him, wordlessly, and he wondered just how transparent he was in his feelings for him, before Raditz got his attention, saying, “Oh but you won’t be alone, will you? You’ll be dragging everyone you know onto the dance floor!” he remarked to Vegeta, “But I have to say, I’ll be happy if you dance at least one time, Prince Vegeta.”

Vegeta’s shoulders stiffened and he tore his eyes from Goku’s face almost reluctantly as he snaps, “Is that so? What an odd request!”

Raditz laughed, “Just remembering old times, my Liege.”

Vegeta answered, “If I was ever dancing I must have been very young, and I must have had enough to drink that I don’t remember it,” and everyone chuckled while he seemed to relax a little. Then he changed the topic, “How is your son?”

Raditz beamed, “He’s well! And Minala’s grateful to finally be back here at the castle, with so much help. He’s growing up so fast I feel as though I’m missing it, already.”

Bardock smirked, eyeing the group, “They do grow up fast…”

Vegeta nodded but looked away again. He declared immediately after that that he was being beckoned, and he excused himself and, rather forcefully, his brother from the conversation. Tarble bid them a fond farewell and Vegeta nodded at them in general, but seemed eager to flee, while Goku turned to Raditz and asked him, pretending to care more about hearing an answer to his question than Vegeta’s departure, “Who’s going to take care of Radom during the wedding?” He refused to watch Vegeta walk away and he fidgeted a little while he tried to focus on his brother’s response.

“Oh, we will, you know, for the most part. But we will have help, and then for our honeymoon, Prince Vegeta has afforded us plenty of assistance.”

Goku continued to feign interest in chatting with Raditz and his father, but that had absolutely proven to be the most awkward situation he’s ever been in, and he hardly knew what to do with himself. At first chance he told them he was going to get another drink and that he’d see them around, and he headed for the bar, where he took a shot, and then, after making one more quick round to see some of his friends, he left entirely. He was unable to hang out any longer without either risking the drunken mistake of speaking to Vegeta or dealing with the anxiety of continuing to avoid him all night. He’d meant what he said, earlier. He’d rather be alone than pretend anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never written a story quite like this one, where every detail means so much, and yet it all seems so… IDK, I guess it’s more like a soap opera at this point, and I’m not usually into that type of thing! But I’m trying to keep Goku and Vegeta as in character as possible while I put them through this craziness. I hope that this story continues to get more interesting than the simple denial of obvious attraction, though, as that is my plan, so please be patient with me, especially if you’re beginning to wonder if this is simply going to go on this way forever. 
> 
> Spoiler: It isn’t.
> 
> Also thank you so much for reading and reviewing I enjoy seeing what you guys have to say and I appreciate the comments and the love


	19. 19

Chapter 19

The night of Raditz’s wedding came. It was held at a beautiful mansion the Prince rented out exclusively for the guests. Its location was not in the city, but not too far from it, in case some people decided not to stay. The grounds themselves were surrounded by gardens, which were rare on Planet Vegeta, and there were several outhouses for the close family and friends who planned on staying the night to sleep in, specifically made for couples, aside from the rooms available in the mansion itself to the rest of the guests. There were several amenities, including a pool, hot tubs, a game room, and all the works. Apparently this was a very sought after spot for the wealthy to get married in, and Minala was grateful beyond words for the Prince’s thoughtfulness in gifting them with such a destination, not to mention paying for all of the food and decorations, as well as servers and entertainment. It was sure to be a night to remember.

Saiyans and weddings weren’t always a thing, but over time it’s become more and more popular, and since the custom originally came from Earth, Saiyans tended to follow the general rules accompanying it, up to and including embarrassing games and overdrinking.

Raditz was a little buzzed before he ever said _I do_ , and so was Minala. All of their friends were likewise, as well as their families, including Goku. Even Geredi was a good bit tipsy by the time everyone was making their rounds to congratulate the couple and their parents, and he laughed right alongside of Bardock. It appeared as though the two of them were life-long friends, when they’ve only known one another for a short seven months. Bardock had a way of doing that to people, though, bringing out the best in them, and causing them to behave in ways they wouldn’t ordinarily. It’s his best trait.

Even Prince Vegeta couldn’t stay his normal grouchy self for long. He spent a fair amount of his time speaking with Raditz and Nappa, and then another good bit of it by Tarble and his date, which he did in fact have, before venturing out by himself a little, walking around casually, and even stopping to speak to several people that Goku didn’t think he’d talk to, at least, he’d never seen him speak to them before.

Actually, he’s never seen Vegeta willingly go up and speak to anyone; stand around and listen, maybe, join in on the conversation when someone else is there to buffer, sure, but go up to someone and start a conversation? No. It was almost strange to see that he _could_ , when he wanted, behave normally. Although his standoffish nature was still very obvious, he was more relaxed this night than any other.

Goku bit his lip as watched him from afar. He was never alone for long, though, and neither was Vegeta, and he was grateful to be almost constantly surrounded by people he knew and liked, even without trying. Rictor and Halise were there, along with many of his friends from the Guard, and he wasn’t feeling as forlorn as he thought he might. As long as others were around he wouldn’t be able to afford himself the inexcusable consequence of standing alone long enough to be intercepted by anyone he didn’t want to speak with, or, and possibly more precisely, he wouldn’t be alone with his thoughts long enough to consider trying to get the attention of a certain someone he knew he shouldn’t speak to. Aside from that, Goku was in a splendid mood, and he didn’t let the man in question bother him but instead found joy in the overall happiness of the event.

As the night wore on, they ate, and drank, and danced, and then drank some more. Minala did the strange Earth custom of tossing a bouquet to find the next bride to be and Raditz did the one where he finds the garter from under her dress and throws it behind him for the men, much to the delight of the crowd. The only thing it did was give everyone something else to laugh about. They weren’t superstitious to believe in such a thing, but they played along for the fun of it. It was about that time that the bride and her bridesmaids changed into something more suitable to dance around in, and all the men started loosening up their ties and taking their jackets off so they could dance, too.

Minala brought Goku in for a loving hug and told him how much Raditz adores him and how happy she is to be in their family and to have them in hers. Goku couldn’t agree more, but she was so deep in love and liquor, and surrounded by her close female friends, who were also in such high spirits, that they were distracting her, and they quickly took to thanking one another for their friendship and sharing secrets and tips and tricks, to what Goku wasn’t exactly sure but he didn’t stick around long enough to find out, although many of the women flirted with him and told him to save them a dance.

Meanwhile Raditz was standing around with his men, whenever Minala and hers left his side, and they were getting rowdier by the shot, ever reminiscing about old times, and every time a particular song came on that reminded them of their youth, they all started going crazy. Even Vegeta, for just one song, much to the delight of Raditz and Tarble, danced along with them, and Vegeta even stuck around afterwards, telling them to shove it when they talked about good he moves, but he continued laughing and talking with them about whatever it was that they were discussing, nonetheless. Goku couldn’t help the stupid grin on his face as he watched them, and he saw a rare smile on the Prince’s face, though he often tried to hide it. Goku wondered what they could be saying, but he didn’t feel right joining them to find out.

The deeper they went into the night the looser everyone began to behave. Saiyans can drink much more than Humans, and it seemed they were trying to prove that point for no reason other than for a good time. Everyone there was either trying to get wasted or laid and Goku found it hilarious and comforting to see so much foolery in one place.

Eventually he got a moment with his brother, and they talked briefly about congratulations and wishes of good tidings, but Raditz was being dragged off to go do something else, something about a cake. He told Goku to go mingle some more, and that he’d talk to him later. After going back to dancing some more with his friends, Goku insisted that he needed to tap out for a moment, telling them he was going to go sit down for a little while. He made his way over to the buffet first, of course, and ate for the third time, before finally sitting down next to one of the tastefully decorated walls, away from the celebration of the others, to take a breather.

Bardock came up beside him and brought him out of his musings, smoking a cigar with Geredi, Goku smiled up at them, and, standing to greet them, he mentioned that they looked happier than the bride and groom.

Geredi laughed and slapped Bardock sportingly on the back, saying, “And why shouldn’t we be? We get to watch our children have the time of their lives and help raise a child we don’t have full responsibility over!”

“Yes,” Bardock nodded, “Grandparenting is the best parenting!”

Goku chuckled at the cynical joke and replied, “All the fun with no fuss, huh?”

Geredi laughed again and said, “Ahh, you’ll understand one day,” as Bardock offered him a drag.

“Oh, no thanks, I quit,” Goku grinned. It’s been almost five months since he’s kicked the habit, but he hasn’t told anyone that yet.

“You quit?” an all-too familiar voice called from behind him.

Goku, too loosened up with liquor to be completely anxious, turned to face Prince Vegeta and answered, simply, “Yeah, I did.”

Vegeta said, quirking a brow, and shifting his eyes to the other two, “Well I wouldn’t mind one, if you don’t, Bardock?”

“Not at all,” Bardock smiled, and he pulled a small case out of his pocket and handed one over to Vegeta, saying, “I have plenty more from Raditz’s stash of gifts. He’s not much into them,” as he pulled out a lighter and lit it for him.

Vegeta took a hit confidently and his eyes lifted to Goku’s intense gaze again as he breathed out the smoke that he had barely inhaled.

Bardock, smiling at the scene, said, “Geredi and I were just about to go get ourselves some cake, weren’t we? I think we’re missing part of the tradition.”

“Yes!” Geredi said, far too eagerly, “I believe we are. Let’s hurry.”

Neither Vegeta nor Goku opened their mouths to say anything to stop them from leaving. In fact, they hardly noticed they left at all.

Vegeta took another puff, finally looking away, and Goku couldn’t help but laugh a little at the situation. He knew that they left them alone on purpose, but he was grateful for it, nonetheless. He wanted to take a jab at the Prince for smoking, but he wasn’t sure his delivery would be the slightest bit believable, or appropriate, so he remained silent.

Vegeta’s eyes caught onto his again, and he put the cigar out on a napkin, setting it aside, as he looked out into the crowd, scanning the room.

Goku’s eyes followed where he was currently looking and he said, laughingly, trying to ease some of the tension, “Raditz is so drunk.”

“Yes,” Vegeta chuckled, “He really is.”

Goku looked at Vegeta and smiled, he didn’t know why. He was still upset with him, but whenever they were alone like this, it somehow just went away. Vegeta turned to him, and his eyes were much softer than he’s ever seen them. It must be the liquor in their systems, and the emotions filling in the air. It must be the wedding. They say weddings do things to you, but Goku didn’t really know. Neither did Vegeta. Not yet.

Finally, the Prince asked, “Are you having a good time?”

“Yeah!” Goku answered with forced enthusiasm. He is, but damn, that didn’t sound convincing at all. Another brief quiet between them followed.

“Kakarot…” Vegeta started, his voice dropping low, but it seemed that whatever he meant to follow his name with was stifled before it could be spoken.

“Yeah?” he said, turning to smile at him again, trying to ward off any ill feelings towards him. He doesn’t hate him. He wished he did, but he doesn’t. Should he tell him that? Should he ask him when he’s getting married? Should he tell him congratulations…? He didn’t know. He glanced down at his hand, but it was gloved so he couldn’t see a ring if there is one.

Vegeta finally offered, without really looking at him, “We should get a drink and go talk somewhere more private.”

“Yeah,” Goku replied, his voice dropping to a near whisper.

Vegeta began to walk away, assuming he would follow, but he didn’t get far before Goku said, “No! No, I don’t want another drink.”

Vegeta turned to him, his eyes all over his face, and his lips parted as well-hidden thoughts flashed behind his eyes. “Kakarot…”

“No,” Goku shook his head, “I’m sorry. I’m not mad at you, but I don’t want to talk, either,” and he turned and began to walk away, planning to leave, party or not.

Vegeta grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him around instantly, as he argued, “I do.”

Goku hissed quietly, “It’s not all about you, Vegeta!”

The Prince snarled, and he seemed more conflicted than ever before as he said, “I don’t understand why you don’t understand what I want from you! Or why we can’t have it that way?!”

“What about what _I_ want from _you_?” Goku wondered, and their proximity had closed remarkably before either of them had the chance to notice they were dangerously close to making a spectacle of themselves, if anyone is watching them, anyways.

“It’s the same thing, isn’t it?” Vegeta growled lowly, but then he backed off, unwilling to bring attention to them further. Who knows who’s seen this much of their encounter already? After a brief standoff Vegeta finally gave in, squared his shoulders as he looked Goku up and down, and then turned to walk away.

Goku watched him, and then something inside of him decided that he wasn’t willing to let it go that easily, and he quickly stepped to meet him in stride.

Vegeta glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and stated with self-righteous gratification, “Joining me for a drink, I see.”

“I changed my mind,” Goku answered, equally as proud.

Vegeta only smirked, but he told him, “Go say hello to your friends,” he glanced in the other’s direction, “And then meet me outside, around the back, in five minutes.” The look he gave him made Goku roll his eyes, but he did as he said, smiling all the while. He got such a rush from this, whatever this is.

Vegeta headed in the opposite direction as him, stopping to talk to a few people on the way before he used the exit nearby the bathroom as his escape. Goku greeted his friends cheerily enough, and then said that he wanted to get another drink and that he might go check out the gardens while he waits for the crowd around the cake to die down. He told them he’d be back later and left quicker than they could argue. They were too drunk to notice his haste in leaving them, anyways, and more preoccupied by other events.

Goku didn’t even stop by the bar, though, too incensed to speak with Vegeta, and by the time he got outside, his whole attitude had changed about what he was going to do about this situation between them. When he saw Vegeta waiting for him, propped up against the side of the building, one hand in his pocket, he stepped towards him with a confidence he didn’t even know he had. He walked straight up to him, lifted his face with his hand, and kissed him deeply, before he could reconsider his bold actions.

Vegeta complied, moaning into his mouth before he pulled away saying, “One of these rooms out here is for you. I thought we could talk there.”

Goku hoisted Vegeta into the air and onto his hips with both hands and asked, gripping his ass, and pulling him close, “Which one?”

“That one. Number 4,” Vegeta motioned backwards, never breaking eye contact. Goku began walking hurriedly, still clutching him. Vegeta chuckled, “You can put me down, you know. I can walk just fine.”

Goku smiled and without even looking at him, he answered, “I know, but I’m not going to.”

Vegeta gave him a strange look before he turned his head to see if he was going towards the right home and scanning the area again to make sure they were alone. They were, and he was.

Once inside Goku set Vegeta down and turned on the lights. Immediately he was in awe of what he saw and Vegeta watched him walk around the small apartment as they both gathered their wits. Goku was baffled by him once again.

“What is all of this?” he wondered.

“Complimentary,” Vegeta shrugged, “Drunk people like food. And more drinks. There’s more of both in the fridge. And there’s champagne by the bed in the mini fridge.”

“…Why?” Goku wondered, turning to look at him, “I mean, why would you do all of this? And why is this one for me? It’s not like I have anyone to share it with.”

“No?” Vegeta smirked, cocking a brow at him.

Goku didn’t know what else to do except for walk up to him again and kiss him, and even though he knew that wasn’t exactly the right response, he wasn’t exactly in his right mind, or else maybe he’d be telling him off for the final time and saying that he never wanted to see him again. Instead they were untucking their shirts and unzipping their pants as they got into the bed.

“We have to be quick,” Vegeta grunted into his neck as he climbed all over him, not bothering to remove the majority of his clothing, and not allowing Goku to do so either. All they needed was quick access, and a little time.

Goku knew they had to be fast, of course, and he knew why, but he didn’t mind. It was exciting, stimulating even, and he couldn’t let this opportunity pass them by without taking advantage of it. Who knew when they would get another chance? Who knows why he was taking this one?

His mind was in full on rollercoaster mode, though, and as turned on as he was to be in Vegeta’s arms again, and as much as he was loving the way Vegeta was pressing into his thighs with his own, he was determined to know the truth about his engagement, once and for all, like the problems between them weren’t bad enough, already. He reached for Vegeta’s left hand as the Prince nibbled down on his neck, unassuming, and Vegeta was pressing into his chest with his free hand, trailing further down with preoccupied thoughts. Goku firmly urged his fingers in between the Prince’s, essentially trying to hold his hand. Vegeta knew instantly what he was doing as his fingers latched onto his, and his eyes shot open in surprise, but it was too late to stop it… and he looked over at their joined hands just as Goku found what he was searching for.

Goku felt the ring and he licked his lips as he sat up and looked into Vegeta’s eyes, trying to figure out something to say to him about it, but he hardly knew himself what he was feeling, or what he was thinking.

Vegeta didn’t seem angry, or embarrassed, or anything at all aside from his initial astonishment. He simply sat up, removed his glove, and showed the proof of Goku’s search to him directly. Then he took off his other glove and tossed them aside. Then he took off the ring and set it on the bedside table. Then he pulled out some lube from the top drawer, turned back to him, and kissed him gently but urgently, luring his tongue out of his mouth tentatively, testing the waters between them, hoping that Goku wouldn’t shy away.

Goku kissed back, gripping his body tightly.

“We have to hurry,” Vegeta grunted again.

Goku’s attitude shifted in a matter of seconds, and he flipped their positions, pressing Vegeta face down into the bed, and said in a guttural voice Vegeta had never heard from him before, “What about our scents? Won’t everyone know? Like they don’t already?”

“Whh,” Vegeta groaned, feeling Goku pressing his hands into his ass roughly as he pulled his pants down, exposing him to his touch. Vegeta sensed that his actions were much more certain than ever before, much more serious, even. He couldn’t answer as Goku stole the lube from him and slicked his cock before placing it at his entrance, and he did it so quickly, almost too quickly to comprehend at first.

Goku pressed into him without hesitation, and put his mouth on his neck, sucking harshly, as he pushed further inside. Vegeta grit his teeth before grabbing a pillow to bite into while trying to keep quiet as Goku continued to tear into him with needy, unrepressed movements.

“Fuck!” Vegeta growled, gasping for breath as he looked over his shoulder at the other man, “What are you trying to do?!” He was near to hurting him, but he wasn’t about to stop him. It’s not that he wasn’t enjoying it, because he is a little demented, and oh yes, he’s enjoying this, but damn, this isn’t like Kakarot as he’s known him thus far.

Goku continued to press inside of him with force Vegeta wasn’t sure he could really handle, not for long, and he huffed into his ear, whispering, “Mmm, I’ve missed you.”

Vegeta wasn’t all too surprised to hear him say that, unlike he ever could, but he was stunned by the hand that gripped his neck and the other that was desperately pulling at his hips. He couldn’t respond with anything other than guttural moans as Goku changed tactics and grabbed ahold of his wrists with one hand, pinning them together against the small of his back, as he continued to fuck him mercilessly.

He pulled him backwards onto his lap and continued to force himself inside of him as deep and hard as he could, and he told him, “I’ve spent so much time... thinking about you. I want you so badly…”

Vegeta, amongst enjoying being on the other end of Goku’s darker sexual nature, sensed that Goku was actually pissed, or hurt, or something, and that he might be in a dangerous place if he lets him continue like this. Has he gotten stronger? Would he actually… hurt him?

He was fighting himself, though. No one touched him like this. No one. He deserved this. He needed this. A small part of him even wanted this. But he couldn’t bring himself to tell Kakarot how much he wanted him, and how much he was relishing in every bone crushing thrust he was giving him.

He felt his arms twist a little further back and panic swept him for a moment. He finally fought against him, distracting him with his tail as he flicked it across his face, and he was able to pull himself from his hold, and he turned beneath him a little clumsily due to the restrictions of his clothing. He glared up at him and was going to say something smart, but when he saw his handsome, alluring face, he knew he didn’t look half as angered as he was turned on.

Goku grinned down at him, noticing the flush of his cheeks and, pressing his mouth against his plump lips, he kissed him in a heady manner, while pulling Vegeta’s pants completely down his thighs and forcing them off his legs, removing his shoes at the same time, before reaching back up to his quads and squeezing them tight, spreading his legs wider than necessary, and bending him a little more than needed and he leaned over him.

Vegeta’s breath hitched. He felt so powerful above him, and so sure, but there was something serious about the way he was casting a shadow over his body, and Vegeta felt every bit as small underneath him as he really is. He could stop him, couldn’t he? But why would he want to?

Goku looked down at Vegeta’s lithe but muscular body and said, “I’m sorry if I hurt you…”

Vegeta tried to punch him, out of spite, just for _thinking_ that he thought he _could_ , but he’s been drinking, and Goku dodged and leaned forward as though expecting it, with a smug look on his face, and he pressed into him again from this new angle, pulling his hips to meet his thrusts and latching onto his neck once more.

“Kakarot!” Vegeta moaned, unable to help himself and so confused about what he was truly feeling other than an intense mix of utter pleasure and pain. “Don’t!...” he whined without thinking.

“Don’t what…?” Goku asked, still thrusting into him without regard for anything, and licking his sensitive skin as his hands traveled up Vegeta’s hard body, pinching taut skin and sighing heavily into his chest.

It hurts so good, Vegeta couldn’t respond beyond his own gasps.

“Don’t leave a mark?” Goku whispered, as his hands went down the Prince’s stomach to find his twitching, aching, and sinfully ignored cock. “I liked the ones you left on me…” He admitted, and pumped Vegeta’s leaking member with one of his strong hands, eliciting a loud moan from Vegeta he couldn’t deny.

“Don’t stop…” Vegeta’s shuddered as his hands gripped his biceps and he was forced further into the bed. His swollen member was threatening to burst each time Goku penetrated him with his large, rigid one. The bed broke before he could, though, but Goku was quick, and he stood up, pulling out, but bringing Vegeta with him.

“What are you trying to prove, you maniac?” Vegeta growled, but his face wasn’t half as hardened as his dick. He was clearly aroused by how upright his cock was, in spite of Goku’s manhandling, and they both knew it was mutual, as Goku’s was much the same.

Goku smirked at him and said, “Sorry about that… There’s not much time.” He hoisted him into the air and pressed inside of Vegeta for the third time. There were no protests.

Vegeta had a brief moment to consider how mangled and disheveled their hair and clothes were, Goku’s pants still barely clinging to his thighs, while their shirts were wrinkled and missing the lower buttons, but that was all the thought he put into that. Their tails were suddenly wound so tight around one another’s waists that Vegeta was certain if one of them pulled away it would be detrimental.

The friction in between them caused Vegeta to cum after only a few more minutes. He cried out, unable to help it, and when his body locked up, Goku’s followed, pouring into him, and their lips locked after they took a second to regain their breath, lapping up the spit that had fallen onto their chin mingled with sweat. They didn’t care.

Goku finally set him down, after their lingering aftermath started to subside, and they quickly tried to piece themselves back together, both of them feeling strange in many ways.

“I have an idea about how to answer your question… about our scents,” Vegeta whispered, trying desperately to put himself back together, and gather his thoughts, even as he stumbled a little as they headed for the doorway. Goku paused and turned back, Vegeta stopped and watched him closely, wondering what he was doing.

Goku grabbed the only two things Vegeta had forgotten. His ring and his gloves. He handed them both to him, and Vegeta’s eyes cast oddly up to his after he put both of the items back on. He turned off the lights and they exited the room quickly.

Goku followed him close, wondering what his idea could possibly be, but he was beyond buzzed and more than a little confused, not only about what they were about to do, but about what had just come over him.

Vegeta was zipping along the side of the mansion, clearly looking for something, with Goku not far behind him, and he peered around the corner to try and see if anyone was outside in the one area where he knew they might just get away with this yet. The coast was clear. He turned to Goku and smirked.

“What?” Goku wondered.

Vegeta whispered, “Follow my lead.” He grabbed ahold of Goku by the shirt and shoved him ahead of him as he forced him around the side of the building, pressing him backwards and onto the deck of the pool.

“What are you doing?!” Goku shouted, perplexed, but Vegeta kept going, his smirked widening, and, once close enough, he attempted to toss him into the pool, but Goku grabbed a hold of Vegeta’s shirt on the way in and managed to drag him down into the waters along with him.

The Prince sputtered as he emerged and Goku gasped as he followed.

Several Saiyans on the inside of the building heard the shouting and then the splash, and after looking through the glass at two people emerging from the pool they came outside. One of them exclaimed, “Your Highness!”

That’s when Goku turned to see five party members staring at them, trying not to laugh, or simply trying to understand.

Goku couldn’t help but burst into laughter himself, whether it was from nervousness or genuine amusement he didn’t know for sure. Vegeta had found a way to keep them from being discovered completely and he had to hand it to him. He turned to the Prince as he treaded the water and smiled.

Vegeta grunted, “You clumsy buffoon, Kakarot! Watch where you’re going!” trying to sound angry as he swam away, getting out of the water quickly. He tried to look at least a little dignified while soaking wet in his expensive clothes, but he simply powered up, which dried him off, and caused the others to shy away, and then he headed inside.

Goku grinned at them as their attention turned to him and he exited the waters while he exclaimed, “Whoops!” He used his ki to dry off, as well, as said, easily enough, “I’ve been running around looking for my father, have any of you seen him?”

They told him where they last saw him, and he thanked them, and went inside. Neither of them talked for the rest of the night, but they did share several captivating glances from afar.

Two weeks later Vegeta finally made his announcement on Planet Vegeta at the same time Bulma made her announcement on Earth. They even set the date, and things were moving fast. The wedding was going to be held on Earth in less than three months’ time, and Planet Vegeta and Planet Earth would never be the same. What ensued after the proclamation of their engagement was made was nothing short of chaos, on both planets.

The backlash was to be expected, of course. On every front. There wasn’t a single emotion that a Saiyan or human _didn’t_ have in response to the news, but the decision was finalized and approved by the King, and Earth didn’t have a King, yet, so nothing anyone said really mattered.

Goku kept a low profile and avoided group gatherings at all costs for a little while after the publication of the wedding. Anytime he did come out of hiding he was heckled, even though some comments were more bearable than others, but that only lasted so long. Most of the Saiyans were more pissed that Prince Vegeta didn’t choose from amongst his own kind than they were that he’d chosen anyone at all, and his relationships with anyone, alleged or otherwise, were no longer relevant in their eyes.

Even the Prince seemed to be in hiding of sorts, but he maintained that his absence was mostly due to the careful planning he needed to focus on during the precious few weeks he had left before the wedding was to occur. Timing was everything at this point, because he had to be on Earth at a certain date, and who knew when he’d be back.

Goku eventually stopped hiding from everyone because he simply couldn’t avoid his job, and when, after three long weeks of dealing with things the best he could, he was summoned to speak with his supervisors, by the King, personally, he knew there was no hope in avoiding this meeting. He was far too curious to know why he was being called to see them than he was about _anything_ else, but he assumed he was going to be told that he was off the guard and he braced himself for the news just as much as he expected it, and he told himself there would finally be some degree of relief for him following hearing those words.

When he was brought into the King’s halls, he was surprised to find that there were many others of his job title also called to speak with their respective supervisors, including Tarble’s men, Vegeta’s, and the King’s, as well as military men and women, and castle guards.

He couldn’t help but wonder why the meeting was being held in this wing of the castle, and since he’d never been there before, he spent a little time marveling at his surroundings. It was incredible to see to say the least, but his nerves were consuming any thoughts he had on the décor of the halls and he hoped he’d have enough sense left in him to pay attention to what was being said after this meeting got started.

Once they were all brought into the spacious room, he saw several councilmen that he’s come to recognize over time, and they were ushering everyone to take a seat quickly and quietly and listen for their newest assignments.

The discussion came on quickly considering how many people were in the room and Goku got the feeling that he was meant to only listen, and so he did, while his supervisors and the councilmen started off by telling them that the information they were about to share was relevant to their jobs and that some of them would have to make immediate adjustments if they wanted to keep working for their King.

The first thing they told the group was that there are several members of the Saiyan Military who are already on Earth, and were sent out well before the announcement of the engagement was made, so as to assure Princess Bulma’s safety during this delicate time. They explained that some of them would be replacing the military men and women there, in order to ensure that Princess Bulma gets the utmost treatment and respect, much the same that they would give their Princes or their King, and that, yes, this would be the new way of life, as far as it goes for Saiyan Guards. Some would live on Earth and others on Planet Vegeta. They said that the decision of who is going where has already been made for now, but that in the years to come, they will make adjustments as necessary so that any who wish to live on Earth and serve the future Queen may do that, and any who would like to stay on Planet Vegeta, such as those who have family here, may be able to do so at that time.

With that being said, much to the chagrin of almost everyone in attendance, they went over the changes being made to suit the new switch in roles for the people attending. Some of the Castle Guardsmen and army veterans were being moved to serve Prince Tarble, some of Tarble’s men were going to serve Prince Vegeta, some of Prince Vegeta’s men were being moved to serve the King, and most importantly, some of them, from all five categories, were going to be sent to Earth, to serve and protect Princess Bulma, for up to two years before allowed the time to come back to Planet Vegeta.

No further explanations were given, and they were dismissed after they were each given an envelope with their name and their new priority written on the outside. Inside was the list of their new schedule for the time being, or for some, up until the time they were set to leave, as well as the date and times they were expected to travel, and any other pertinent information they thought each individual may need.

Goku, for once, wasn’t completely sidelined by this turn of events, but he was surprised when he looked down at the envelope given to him to find that **he** was one of the Saiyans chosen to go to Earth. He didn’t have time to give it much thought as they were all being asked to leave quickly, escorted by the King’s men back to the main halls of the castle. He fell in line with everyone else, who, for what it’s worth, were completely stunned by this news, and his head was swimming.

What the hell just happened back there?! Was there no one who he could talk to and challenge this decision with? His heart clenched at the very idea of it! Preposterous! Why should _he_ serve _her_?! He knew that sooner or later he’d be off the guard, but he wasn’t expecting this. Not in a million years.

He couldn’t quite grasp what was going on, much less explain it to the rest of his men when everyone came clamoring up to them to find out what the meeting had been about. He hadn’t even opened his envelope to look at any of the details, as many of the rest of them were doing, so again, he just continued to listen to what was being said around him, and tried to make sense of it, himself.

Some of the men were upset about the exchange, but some of them were excited about it. To go from a Castle Guard or an army member to a Prince’s Guard was wonderful news, but to become a member of the King’s guard was even more special, and as for those that had to go to Earth, some were saddened by the idea of leaving their home, while others thrilled with the idea of being able to travel.

Felia was one of the guards going to Earth with Goku, and she admitted that she didn’t quite understand it herself, and that she wasn’t too happy about it, but that she would comply without complaint. She told Goku that he’d better get used to seeing more of her than ever before because he was practically her only acquaintance in all of this mess and then she stormed off to be by herself for a little while.

The rest of them all talked about the fact that they should have known this was coming, although most of them had expected a change in the line-up, they hated the fact that they were going to be moved, whether it was to be on duty for the King or the Princes, or Princess Bulma, it didn’t matter, it was change, and change can be tough, but they knew better than to spread their thoughts any further than the confidence of their own circle. Goku knew that this would not be the only discussion of these events to come but weaseled his way out of saying much of anything and eventually ran off to be alone, himself.

The next morning Goku got up out of bed earlier than usual. He couldn’t sleep, and so he got up, found the object of his apprehension, and finally opened the envelope, figuring that he ought to at least know when he’s scheduled to leave. He was under the impression, after listening to the others, that he could be leaving as soon as next week, but he hoped that wasn’t the case.

Bardock and Raditz informed him through text last night that they heard about his upcoming trip, (finding and talking to the right people to get the information wasn’t hard for Raditz to do since he was a Commander in the army) and while Goku was certain they had opinions of their own about it, they kept those thoughts to themselves for now and only told him that he would be missed and to come see them before he left. He planned to do that much, but he hadn’t really given much thought to anything else in particular about the whole matter.

Looking over the words on the page he felt lost. It just looked like letters and numbers to him, nothing was comprehensible. He wasn’t sure what own thoughts were at the moment, much less capable of understanding this gibberish, not that he couldn’t read, he just couldn’t seem to focus. He didn’t know what to think or how to feel about anything, anymore and he found he was having a hard time concentrating, harder than usual, even.

All he saw that was concrete was the day and time that he was leaving, and he got out his phone and tried to figure out how much more time he had on Planet Vegeta, so he could sink it up with his current schedule and find some time to spend with his family before he has to go.

As he did so he came to a realization- which only made matters worse, as if it wasn’t bad enough, already- he figured out that with the timing of his take-off versus the date of Prince Vegeta’s wedding, he would miss it by three weeks.

He knew it wasn’t an accident. It couldn’t be. Vegeta didn’t want him to be at the wedding, but he didn’t want him to be here with him, either. But, isn’t that… what he had said he wanted in so many words? Is that not what he was implying this whole time? That he wanted him to be his… side-thing? 

Goku had been doing a lot of thinking about everything since that night at Raditz’s wedding, and, it’s not like Goku wanted to be at _Vegeta’s_ wedding, but… he thought he understood, to some extent, what Vegeta was actually trying to convince him of, and he was even to the point of _kind of_ considering it.

 _‘Well, I guess that’s not the case anymore!’_ he thought and he furrowed his brows and put his head in his hands as he tried to sort out his thoughts from his emotions and his priorities against his desires. Everything was so jumbled up now that he wasn’t sure he’d ever get it all sorted out and he felt stupid even trying because he felt worse now from thinking that he ever had a chance at a life with him to begin with.

His alarm on his phone went off and he groaned as he remembered he had to show up for work today. He stood up and stretched as he decided to chalk all of this up as the pinnacle of the worst that it could get and muttered to himself that he was done worrying about it. He was finally going to move on. He was moving, _literally_ , to Earth, of all places, to serve as a bodyguard for his ex-lover’s new _wife_. Ugh.

Work was nothing but training exercises for him today, and it didn’t take him long to notice that he’s finally gotten used to these workouts after all of this time in the Guard, and he found himself musing about how much he’s going to miss this place and these people.

After their shift was over, many of them talked about meeting tonight at their usual spot, the one from before where Goku had fought Leno, so that they could throw one last hoorah together before things start to really change and they have to say goodbye for a while. Goku agreed, although he was mildly hesitant to go, he knew he’d probably not get another chance for such a get-together in a while and so he took it while he could, and they met later that night.

They all had a great time, almost too much of one, actually, and by the time Goku stumbled back to his room he was buzzing worse than he’d been in a while, but he was in a good mood and he planned to remain that way.

Luckily for him, he slept off what could have been a bad hangover just fine and got up the next morning to go to work like everything in his life was perfectly normal.

It was, for the most part, and he went through this day and several more without thinking much about anything other than the plans he’s managed to make with his father and his brother in the upcoming weeks before his departure.

By now, Vegeta has already headed out for Earth, and everyone’s thoughts on what was to come seemed to settle on something more akin to excitement than anything else. Who knew what the Earthling’s were saying? Goku figured he’d find out soon enough, but in the meantime, he enjoyed every meal and every chance he got to be outside while he was still on his home planet.

With every passing day, his departure was approaching, but this was an evening so perfect that he took an opportunity to watch the sun go down, and he viewed it from the mostly abandoned gardens on the outskirts of the castle. He sat on a bench and let himself become lost in his thoughts, only to be interrupted by a change in the wind, or the approach of someone else from afar.

The wind was fair, though, and the temperature was nice, and the only people that did come near, weren’t so near to even notice him, much less stop to speak with him even if they did. It’s been hours since he’s last seen anyone, and the sun was mostly set, so his thoughts remained unbroken, until at last an unlikely man came up from behind him, startling him.

“Goku.”

Goku turned to see who was talking to him, and he stood up quickly, just to bow low, when he saw that it was none other than Prince Tarble. “Your Highness?” he questioned as he rose, looking at him earnestly.

Tarble gave Goku a blank stare, much like his brother, but his eyes were far too kind to be intimidating like Vegeta’s. Finally, he said, “As you were,” and he motioned towards the bench.

Goku took a seat and the Prince joined him, relaxing into the back of the seat as Goku tried not to stare at him and wondered why he was here.

“I had a wonderful time at Raditz’s wedding, perhaps even too much of a good time. I was sick the next morning and hardly myself for at least two days afterwards,” Tarble smiled at him.

Goku laughed and said, nodding, “I think almost every felt the same, but I hope you are feeling better, your Highness.”

Tarble nodded and said, “Much. And yourself? How was your night?”

Goku nodded earnestly, but anxiously, and he replied, “Everything was wonderful, and I got lucky, well I mean I… I felt fine the next day, for the most part.” He smiled as he tried to maintain composure. Not that Tarble makes him uncomfortable, but he couldn’t be sure what he wanted from him.

Tarble eyed him closely before he said, in seemingly ordinary conversation, “Well, if Raditz’s wedding is any indication of Vegeta’s, I’m fully preparing myself for worst when it comes to a recovery the next day. Our father will be insistent upon us having a good time, you see, and knowing when to draw the line at that point can be pretty difficult when you can’t think straight. I’m sure you know what I mean.”

Goku continued to smile at him, but he didn’t know what to say, and so he looked away in thought. He’s been thinking more of Vegeta’s wedding than he ought to be, and he won’t even be there to see it.

“Ahh, but my brother’s wedding is going to go much differently, I suspect, and though I don’t doubt I’ll get a good bit wasted, I’m certain he’ll be much too uptight to let loose in any way. He has much more on the line than I do, after all.”

Goku turned to him at that and said honestly, with mild concern on his face, “I don’t think that’s true, really. I mean-” he blushed and hesitated.

Tarble cocked his head a little to the side and said, “Well, go on? What do you mean?”

Goku wondered if he should speak his mind, but he didn’t know how not to, and so he answered, “We all have our lives to live and everything we do affects everyone else, big or small.” He looked back out into the gardens and sighed as he added, solemnly, bringing his knee up to rest his elbow upon it, “One position is not more important than another, not when it comes down to it. Prince Vegeta just has his responsibilities placed out in front of everyone, and so it seems like much more, but your responsibility is no less. And mine is important, to me and my family, anyways. At least, that’s how I feel about it.”

Tarble smirked at him and said after a moment, “That’s the army in you talking, isn’t it?”

“Hm?” Goku wondered, facing him again and wondering what came over him to say such a thing to his Prince.

Tarble added, “Yes, I’m certain of it. They convince you that you matter, and that one man can make a difference, but how many of the men in our armies actually believe such things? How many civilians cling to the hopes that their actions affect the well-being of their communities? Not many, by my observation. But I’ve never quite heard it put that way, and actually, it does sort of makes sense. I suppose I can see why you would believe such a thing,” he smirked again, “You believe at least in yourself, if nothing else, don’t you?” He turned and watched the skies as they changed colors slowly, not bothering to let Goku answer, as he said, “I’ve never been in the army. I’ve never seen the horrors that many of you men have. A part of me is jealous of you army men and women. You seem to find so much joy in the little things, either that or you’re obsessed with yourselves and the idea of the power that you have at your fingertips,” he turned back to him again and said, “But you’re not like that, are you?”

Goku shrugged a little, replying, “I don’t know. I don’t think so,” he looked down as he tried to gather his thoughts and explained, “I believe in power, sure, but I don’t believe that it sets me apart from anyone else. I just think that it gives me the opportunity to defend the people and the places that I love,” he looked back up at him, “And it’s a thrill to see how far you can push yourself, and then to pit yourself against another opponent, and to find out how you measure up,” he smiled, “There’s nothing like it.”

Tarble eyed him closely for some time, his expression both disturbed by something but calming in a way at the same time, and, unlike his brother, Goku could decipher some of his emotions, but like him, he still didn’t know what he was thinking.

Tarble finally looked away and said, his voice suddenly powerful, though he wasn’t speaking loudly, “So what’s the point in having a King if everything that you do means so much?”

Goku’s nervousness rose and he answered, “I’m sorry if I offended you. I just meant that… everyone is important. A King’s position over his people definitely means more than a civilian’s, but that doesn’t mean that your place is any less because you aren’t King.” He felt like he was backstepping, but he didn’t know how to explain himself any better.

Tarble smirked and said, “I’m not worried about being a King, Goku, it’s not my place, and my brother has certainly shown me that it’s no fun.”

Again, Goku didn’t know what to say.

Tarble eyed him again and wondered, “Well, are you excited to be moving to Earth? I suppose it should be seen as a compliment, after all, she is to be Queen.”

Goku hesitated, turning his face away from the Prince once more, and finally he said after thinking upon it for some time, not completely untruthfully, “It’ll be another adventure, if nothing else.”

Tarble continued to look at him out of the corner of his eye and, smirking again, he exclaimed, “Do you regret that you won’t be working for my brother anymore?”

Goku’s heart rate rose and he said, honestly, though embarrassingly, “Sort of, but I’m sure that Prince Vegeta had his reasons for sending me away.” He couldn’t help but guess that Tarble knew about them, but what he knew exactly, he couldn’t be sure.

Tarble chuckled, “It wasn’t my brother that decided to send you there.”

Goku snapped his head to face him quicker than he could think about _not_ being so obvious about his interest in that information, and he despised that he was even so intrigued to begin with, seeing as how he’s sworn himself off of thoughts of Vegeta for the rest of his life. Still, he looked at him intensely, hoping he would continue.

Tarble wouldn’t look at him, but he was smirking confidently as he said, knowing he’d gotten Goku’s full attention, “Our father is the one that sent you. He insisted upon it, even though Vegeta argued with him against it, and quite seriously. Of course, that only served to further back him in his decision and ultimately, well, he is still King. Funny that, don’t you think? Your King’s decision directly affecting you and all…”

Goku looked back out into the gardens and refused to speak, although he lowered his leg and tried to hide his hand as he clenched and unclenched his fist nervously.

Tarble looked over at him and his smirk widened, almost as though he was laughing at him, but Goku didn’t think him so cruel. Finally, Tarble bantered, “Don’t you want to know why the King decided to send you to Earth?”

Goku admitted, quietly, while throwing in a little bit of a brotherly feel to his answer, “Yes… But I was thinking that maybe you brought it up because you wanted to tell me?”

Tarble chuckled a little and answered in affirmation, “He’s making you go because my brother is obsessed with you,” he watched him carefully as he revealed, “I won’t venture to say what about you, exactly, he’s obsessed _with_ , but I think it’s quite clear that the two of you had a very pleasant affair, while it lasted. Didn’t you?”

“Prince Tarble,” Goku blushed, “I, um…”

“You dunce,” Tarble sniggered, “if I didn’t know any better, I’d be under the impression you were just about to deny the _truth_ to your _Prince_.”

“No! I-” Goku fumbled. _Fuck._

Tarble grinned, but then the expression fell from his face and he said, “Yes, I’m well aware of your ‘secret’ rendezvous with my brother, Goku, and for some reason I thought you should know the source behind your displacement because I was _sure_ Vegeta didn’t tell you. Which you just proved.” He looked away as Goku considered his words and sighed, “My father figured that if you care for him at all, then you’d be the perfect candidate to look after his fragile new wife. And you will look after her well, won’t you?”

Goku’s blush burned and he nodded and answered, turning back to the gardens, “I- yes- I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her. He obviously cares for her…” He glanced over at him for a moment and Tarble’s serious gaze met his cautious one and caused him to admit, “Prince Tarble, I know I never had a chance with him, but I… He…”

“Oh, stop!” Tarble rolled his eyes, “You’re making me sick with all your insecurity. But I am curious, why is it that you think you never a had a chance, and yet you’ve gone and done something so absurdly stupid as to court the Prince of Planet Vegeta?”

Goku sighed, and he smiled a little as he said, “I couldn’t help it. He’s so different from anyone I’ve ever known, and I just… fell for him.”

Tarble wondered at that confession and his eyes softened minutely, but he didn’t press the topic any further. He frowned, “You met him too late in life, didn’t you? Perhaps you might have had a chance before all of this. Interesting, isn’t it? How life works? How unfortunate for you. I pity you, truly,” He stood up and turned to leave, but before he did, he told him, “I expect you to do the right thing, however. Put this behind you and look after Princess Bulma and keep her safe. I’m sure it will be no easy task,” he looked down the bridge of his nose at him and Goku nodded as he said, “And I trust this conversation will stay between the two of us. There’s no need to go stirring up what’s already been put to rest, don’t you think? In spite of the rumors of your active sex-life with my brother, no one ever suspected anything other than that between the two of you. So, I’d say you’re getting off rather easily, really. You can move on without anyone knowing you ever really cared for him, and you will let him do the same. I suppose it’s best that you go after all, especially considering what allegations might have come about if your affair with him turned into infidelity. Am I understood?”

“Yes, your Highness,” Goku nodded, turning away from him, and he felt as though he was suffocating as he struggled to breath properly.

“Very good,” he replied, and although it seemed for a brief moment that he wanted to say more, he didn’t, but instead he left swiftly.

Goku hung his head low for some time deep in thought about everything he’d just learned. Then he left the gardens to go to Dr. Buro’s and trained to try and clear his head, but it was still as foggy when he was finished as it was when he started and he went back to his room at the castle and passed out from exhaustion; physical, mental, and emotional.


	20. 20

Chapter 20

Goku got to spend some time with Raditz before he headed towards the Earth to be there for Vegeta’s wedding. Raditz had to leave Minala and Radom behind, but they were watched over and well cared for in his stead, and Minala wasn’t upset about not being able to go, anyways, which was a nice, fresh perspective, from many of the others who were sorely angry at not being invited. Apparently, the event was something that only a handful of Saiyans were going to have the privilege to see in person, and the same went for the Earthlings, although it would be broadcast on Planet Vegeta and Earth simultaneously, making the ceremony itself public, but everything before and after was a private affair. Even the King has left with Tarble, already, and the air on the planet seemed to still as they awaited the wedding day and their Royal’s return.

Goku was beginning to be grateful that he wasn’t going to see the spectacle, and he tried his best not to think too much about his upcoming trip for now.

This night has been nice for Goku, in particular. He felt some of the pressure being relieved with the entirety of the Royal House away, and he was able to spend some time out in one of the nearby cities with his father, which always makes him feel better for some reason. He half expected his father to be invited to the wedding, but he never got around to asking him about it. In fact, they had only briefly talked about the wedding, but Bardock seemed much more interested in asking him to tell him all about the Earth as often as he could remember to call him, and he seemed to think that Goku was going to settle in there just fine before easing the conversation into other, lighter subjects altogether. It put Goku’s heart at ease.

He told his father about what Tarble had said, though, and Bardock agreed with the younger Prince’s sentiments, assuring him that it was probably for the best. He insisted that Goku had a good head on his shoulders and encouraged him to try and move on as much as possible, convinced that the King’s decision was a sound one, and meant for good and not harm.

Goku knew that it didn’t matter what he thought anyways, and it certainly didn’t matter that he was going to miss the wedding, itself. He’d miss Vegeta, he misses him already, and he’d miss his family, and his friends, but even he knew he’d get over it rather quickly, especially with such distance between them.

Upon returning to the castle after discussing things with his father, he felt a little more ready to take on this new adventure that’s awaiting him in only a short time.

“Hey man,” Rictor hollers to Goku as he notices him passing by, “Wait up a minute!”

Goku turns and smiles at him, munching on a snack he brought back with him. Not many people were up at this time, and Goku wasn’t expecting to see anyone on his way back to his room, but he didn’t mind the company.

“You leave in a few days, huh? Are you excited?” Rictor asks him conversationally, stepping into stride with the other.

“Yeah,” Goku smiles, “I am. I think it will be fun.” He hasn’t been able to see Rictor much, since he was moved to the King’s guard upon the switch being made, but he was grateful that it hadn’t gone to his head, and glad that he stopped to talk to him. Rictor hadn’t been one of the one’s called to go to the Earth, and he’d told him during one of their brief exchanges a few weeks ago that he didn’t mind. He had said that he was grateful to not have to work. Goku agreed.

Rictor eyed him closely and said, “Fun, you say? Now you get to work for the _Princess_ of Planet Vegeta. That sure sounds fun,” he added sarcastically and shivered in mock disgust, “I never thought I’d say those words.”

Goku grinned, and said before taking another bite, “I’m looking forward to getting a chance to travel there, again. I’ve always loved visiting the Earth.”

Rictor raised a brow at him for a second and then looked around. After gauging that they were alone as they walked, he leans over and elbows him, murmuring, with a sly smirk on his face, “You knew, didn’t you?”

Goku gives him a blank stare as he swallows his food, and he asks, “Knew what?”

Rictor chuckles, “You’re not fooling me, Goku. Prince Vegeta went to Earth the first time to look for a wife, didn’t he? Man,” he shook his head, “How crazy is that?”

Goku shrugs, and admits, simply, “Yeah, well, I wasn’t supposed to say anything, you know? So… I didn’t.”

Rictor chuckles, “You’re a good man. I would have told everyone I knew.”

Goku laughs and only replies, “I didn’t really know anyone, though. They planned it that way. Besides, by the time I figured it out, I…” he hesitated and blushed.

“Yeah, yeah,” Rictor’s grin grew, and he asserted, “I knew _the rumors_ were true, too.”

“Hmm?” Goku laughed, trying to hide his mistake at almost blurting it out, but deep inside he wondered, _What’s the point in pretending anymore?_

Rictor chuckled and said confidently, “I figured it out long before everyone else, though. I suspected you liked him before you left with him to Earth, but after you got back, well, it was undeniable. You really fell in love with him on Earth, didn’t you? That place must be something special.” Goku’s blush grew and Rictor added, speaking his mind, “When you insisted on fighting in that tournament the night you got back, you remember, the one where your face got all bloodied up, I was even more suspicious. You didn’t have to enter that thing, but you were determined. And then, when you _stood up to him_ , man, everyone else might have thought that the Prince was going to kill you, but _I_ thought he was going to fuck you, onlookers be damned.”

“Wha?!” Goku squeaked, inhaling some of his food down the wrong pipe and immediately going into a coughing fit.

Rictor smirked, and continued, knowing he was fine, “You had this look on your face, something fierce. Scary, even. And whenever I would bring him up you always got the same look. Like you were thinking very seriously about something. Which you rarely do.” He elbowed him again.

“Rictor…” Goku elbowed him back after he caught his breath, “Stop,” and he took in another mouthful, though smaller this time, to keep himself from saying more.

His friend smiled and said, “I know, it doesn’t help talking about it, now. But I can’t help but wonder… why did you continue the affair with him when you knew he was engaged? And,” he hesitated, but ultimately asked, “Why didn’t he stop it sooner? He must have _some_ feelings for you. There’s no other explanation.”

Shaking his head, is face red from embarrassment and recovering from his coughing fit, he answered somberly, refusing to look him in the eye, “Come on, Ric, he never promised me anything, and I… I’m fine with it. Seriously.”

Rictor noticed that same look on his face that he’d been eluding to, and he didn’t believe him, but he left it at that, as he asked, “Hey are you off tomorrow? Want to go grab a drink?”

“Sure,” Goku smiled, and they pulled out their phones and messaged anyone else who might be interested in joining them, but Goku warned him, “Hey, don’t bring any of that up tonight, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rictor grinned, feeling sorry for him, “No problem.”

Goku arrived on Earth a renewed man. He didn’t have to worry about a wedding that has since passed while he was in cryo-sleep, and he didn’t have to deal with the watchful eyes of the castle’s members anymore. In fact, he was looking forward to living on Earth, instead of dreading it like he thought he might, and for the first time in his life, he was happy to be away from home for an undetermined amount of time.

He stepped out of his pod and took in a deep breath as he looked around. This is his new home, and he is going to make the most of it.

“So,” Felia muttered in their native tongue, as she popped the moon pill into her mouth, “This is Earth, huh? I guess it’s not a total waste.”

Goku turned to her, doing the same with his own medicine, and smiled, speaking in the same language, “No, it’s a nice planet. I think you’ll like it here,” then he whispered, trying to put her at ease, “Don’t be nervous to meet her.”

She glared at him and he grinned in reply, but she passed no comment as they were being greeted promptly by some watchful Earthlings and told to follow. There were several other women with them that neither she nor Goku knew very well, but that didn’t bother any of them. They were much more expectant to meet this so-called Princess and see what the big deal about the Earth is than they were concerned about getting to know one another at the moment.

They boarded an airplane and were given instructions on safety protocol, not that they needed it, and then they were offered refreshments, which only a few of them took, before the flight commenced.

Goku looked out the window and put thoughts of everything other than the scenery out of his mind.

It didn’t take long for them to arrive at their destination, and once they left the plane they were urged into a limo. Goku sighed a little to himself, to which Felia gazed over at him, wondering what was going through his mind. He simply smiled at her and whispered, “Just like last time.”

She nodded and ascertained that it must be a good thing, but again, said nothing in response.

The other women began to speak once they felt it was safe to do so, but they refused to speak in the common tongue, lest the driver be listening to them, and they asked Goku many questions.

“What do you know of Princess Bulma?”

“Is it true her fortune is so vast- her house must be enormous?”

“Is she like Prince Vegeta?”

“I wonder how this is going to work?”

“Are we really expected to wear these clothes?”

Felia spat, “Does any of that really matter? I’m afraid we will simply have to learn and be accommodating as much as we can. Your questions are nothing more than wasted breath.”

Some of the women turned away from her, intimidated, while others glared at her for the tenacious reply, but the rest simply waited for Goku to respond, not bothered by her in the least.

Goku chuckled and felt a little silly amongst all of them, seven women to his one male counterpart, but he answered with a hopeful voice, “I don’t know her very well, but she’s a smart woman, and, ah, I think you ladies will all get along. Really!”

Some of them laughed, and some of them rolled their eyes, while some of them exchanged glances and said little in response. They began to bicker amongst themselves of what type of job this would really turn out to be, but Felia wanted nothing to do with them, and she huffed a little and turned away, pulling out her phone and fiddling with it, instead.

Goku found time to do the same, and he checked his messages, where he saw pictures from Raditz of Radom and texts about how much he’s going to miss picking on him, followed by wishes of good luck and fun times from his father, not to mention random texts from Rictor, Zuko, and Halise that were sent for no reason other than to make him laugh. He smiled at them all, but he found that he was inexplicably eager, for reasons which he couldn’t quite place, and he awaited their arrival with more sincerity than anyone with him.

By the time they pulled up to Capsule Corp., everyone in the limo was silent and ready to face their new challenge. They got out of the car, stretching their limbs but fully on guard as they scanned the area and waited to be told what to do next.

A few Saiyans came out of the building and greeted them promptly. They were told that a feast is being prepared, but that they must meet the Princess and introduce themselves before anything else. They all nodded and followed, and anxiety within the group swelled.

Princess Bulma was busy, as usual, working on some sort of new technology in the laboratory with her father when they came in to meet her. They were greeted by two more Saiyans who were keeping watch. The ones who led the newcomers to her greeted her respectfully, gaining her attention, and she turned to see what was going on, and then stopped what she was doing to come forth, with little to no emotion on her face. She looked a little weary, but youthful, and as beautiful as ever.

“Princess Bulma, your new bodyguards have arrived,” one of the Saiyans spoke to her, bowing a little.

Bulma eyed them all curiously, smiling softly, but her eyes lit up when she noticed Goku, which happened very quickly, considering he was the only man amongst them. She nodded at them all and said, kindly, “I’m sure you are starving, and I’m sorry but I have work to catch up on. Please, go eat, and chill out for a little while. Karina, will you show them to their rooms whenever they’re ready?” Karina nodded and Bulma finished, saying, “You all can go get settled, and then I’ll meet up with you later. Sound good?”

The women were taken aback by her for many reasons, but they merely bowed and followed Karina, who led the way through the house to their next destination.

Karina told them, once they were out of ears reach from anyone, “I don’t know what you’ve heard, if anything, but don’t be fooled by her dainty figure or her tender nature. She’s an aggressive woman if I’ve ever met one, almost Saiyan-like, if I say so myself,” she looked back and smirked at them but then kept on as though she knew they wouldn’t reply, “She’s smart, too, not to be coddled, and I think she’s growing rather annoyed at all this change and so she might lash out from time to time.

“She’s a remarkably busy woman, too. She travels more than Prince Vegeta ever did, so get used to fancy dinners and parties because there will be a lot of that,” she paused as they rounded a corner and then added, “She may not be what we’re used to, and this place may seem rather ordinary compared to the castle, but try to take this job seriously, if you can,” she giggled and then they all halted for a moment and she turned to them once more and said, much more seriously, “Prince Vegeta left two days ago and he mentioned that I should remind you that you all are going to be representing the Saiyan race while you are here, so please, don’t make a fool of yourselves. Princess Bulma is used to being in the eye of the public but this is much different for her, and if you sense she needs a moment to herself, by all means, let her have it. We all know she has enough stress on her as it is without any of you adding to it.” She glared at them, “With that being said, don’t forget to take your moon side-effect medication on time, every three months, and try not to scare the natives, if possible,” some of them chuckled at that, and Karina’s attitude shifted as she added, “From what I’m told you were all picked for the same basic reasons; you are all either taken, have children of your own, are uninterested in meddling in Royal affairs, or you have other interests in the Earth, is that correct?”

Each of them nodded in surprise, except for Goku, who wondered at what she meant, and which category he fell into, and she smiled again and said, “That you had to leave your families behind is upsetting, but I’m sure you will get breaks and chances to go back, and time will fly. I can say that it certainly has these past 5 months since I’ve been here. Think of this as a trial run of sorts. Nothing is permanent, and I think you all will come to enjoy being here as much as we have. There are another 8 of you coming in next week, and by then I believe she will be well surrounded by a solid and dependable force of women, and of course, you Goku.”

Everyone laughed but Goku blushed and didn’t know what to say. He didn’t realize he was going to be the only male here, and he wondered more and more at what the King was thinking in sending him here, aside from what he was told by Tarble.

“Follow me,” she finished and then called for some of the rest of her group to meet them in the dining room, speaking to them through a nifty device on her arm. Then, now talking to those present, she continued discussing the property itself, the owners, Bulma’s parents, Bunny and Dr. Briefs, the extensive array of animals they have, the gardens outside, the amenities, the technology, and so on, and she seemed more cheerful than anything and it put the group at ease as they listened to her speak.

They sat down to their meal and ate happily as they continued to listen to what Karina and the other women had to say. The current officers explained that robots were everywhere around the mansion and that their needs will be well taken care of, even if a bit differently from the way it’s done at the castle. They discussed the food, as well as the gravity, and many other things.

This talk seemed to never cease and Goku found himself zoning out most of the time as they went on and on about shopping privileges and the nearly round the clock services they could receive if they so choose. The women seemed more interested by the word but Goku wasn’t paying them any mind at all. He was looking around at the familiar surroundings and simply enjoying his meal.

By the time they finished eating, a few of the servants in the house had come by to tell Karina that the new guard’s rooms were ready, but they left quickly after that. Karina and some of the other guards took the new group and gave them a quick tour, leading them to their rooms and briefly explaining how their new routine would work.

So far as Goku could tell, the women here had it easy. Bulma wasn’t nearly as picky or as needy as Vegeta when it came to his guards, but she also probably didn’t pick them or need them as he did, anyways. Their schedules were determined a month in advanced, and if anyone needed to switch anything around, all they had to do was ask the others, Bulma didn’t know the difference, and it didn’t matter who did what as long as one of them was there to protect her in case something happened.

Karina and the others explained that there have been some attempts at Bulma’s life, but that it was nothing they weren’t able to manage, and they made sure each of them swore to silence on any matter of a threat. They didn’t want it getting out, to the public of Earth or Planet Vegeta, that threats were being made to the new Princess’ wellbeing.

Karina opened the floor for questions as they headed back through the house and towards to outside patios, and by that time Goku was only hearing the women prattle on in the background, but none of what they were saying was sinking in, or at least, he couldn’t seem to pay them any more attention. He glanced around at the scenery and couldn’t help but smile for a moment, before frowning to himself as memories threatened to resurface.

He fought them back, though, and shook himself out of his daze, turning back to the women just as Bulma was escorted to them by the rest of her guards.

She put her hands on her hips and smiled at all of them, saying, “Well! Now that I have a minute, why don’t you all introduce yourselves.”

They did so one by one, stepping forward and bowing to her just as they would to one of the crowned Princes back home, leaving Goku to speak last.

When it came his turn to talk, Bulma interrupted him and said, “Goku! Welcome back!” and he smiled and bowed, but watched her with keen eyes as she said, “I have something I want to talk with you about in a minute, okay?”

“Yes, your Highness…” Goku answered, even as he felt his throat going dry. He couldn’t imagine what she could possibly want, and the other women were all smiling at him as though they knew something he didn’t.

Bulma sighed, “You all can call me Bulma, if you’d like,” and she turned to Karina and her current caretakers and asked, “When are you set to leave?”

“Two days,” Karina answered proudly, “for half of us, the other half will stay here another week,” she nodded her head in the newbies direction, “That’ll be plenty of time to get them caught up on how it works around here.”

Bulma took in a deep breath and nodded at her, thanking her, before she turned to the others and said, “The good thing is I have no plans for tonight, so everyone can relax. Whatever schedule my husband has made for you I’m sure doesn’t start until tomorrow. I have a big week ahead, but for now I’m going to go sit back a bit myself! It’s a wine kind of night,” she smiled, “Karina, make sure they get a chance to sort through our wines, as well, won’t you? It’s nice to meet you all.”

The women seemed to flinch slightly at her way of easing the name of the eldest Prince into her speech without ever actually saying it, and they all wondered if she meant more by it than what her kind words had elucidated and they watched her with suspicion and curiosity.

Before Bulma could completely turn away she spoke again, saying, “Goku, will you come with me, please?”

Goku stepped forth and followed, trying his damnedest not to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat, at least, he didn’t want to be caught looking as nervous as he actually felt. The other women began to murmur in the Saiyan language even before the two of them were out of sight though, but Goku’s mind was racing too much and too loudly to catch on to anything that they were saying.

Bulma walked fast as Goku followed her, and when they got a good distance into the house she said proudly, “I thought you might like to see the Gravity Machine again, what do you say?”

Stunned, Goku replied, “Thank you! I would,” but he furrowed his brows together after a second as he tried to understand, and instead of keeping his thoughts to himself he asked her outright, “How come Prince Vegeta didn’t take it with him? I thought it was a gift?”

Bulma laughed, “Vegeta said he’d much rather leave it here so that he can train whenever he comes this way. Makes sense, I guess, what with his obsession and all, and I’d like for someone to get some good use out of it in the meantime! I thought some of the women might be interested, but they seem to like doing their own thing. Either that or they’re suspicious of me.”

“Oh,” Goku replied but he couldn’t believe Bulma had actually said something like that to him.

“Besides,” Bulma smirked, “I have other things I’m working on for Vegeta,” and she rolled her eyes, “He’s very demanding, isn’t he? You should know! You worked directly for him! And I have the suspicion that he likes Dr. Buro’s machine better- although he didn’t say it out right- and that one _is_ going to be given to him as a wedding present when he gets back- although it was _supposed_ to be a surprise.” She sighed, “Thankfully, Dr. Buro is wonderful in helping coordinate his findings with ours, but we have a lot of work to do. We’re in a rush to see who can figure out the correct schematics for our latest invention first!” She turned to him and asked, “You know Dr. Buro, don’t you? Vegeta tells me your brother Raditz is married to his daughter?”

“Yes!” Goku replied, in nothing but shock, “They just got married this year…”

Bulma smiled at him triumphantly and laughed as she said, a little sarcastically, “It’s a good year for marriages! You’ll have to find someone yourself, Goku, what do you think?”

Goku looked into her features to try and find something off about her, but he couldn’t, and he tried to be angry with her, but he wasn’t, instead he laughed at how silly he felt and said, “I guess so,” but he didn’t even know what he meant, or what she meant, and he chalked it up to a difference in cultures. Then he said, trying to change the subject, “I’m sure Prince Vegeta’s excited about all this work you’re doing…”

Bulma was silent as they arrived, and she keyed in the password to the room, causing the door to slide open. She spoke again as they walked into the familiar room, “If you’da told me a year ago that my life was going to change so much so quickly, and so _soon_ , I would have bet my fortune you’d be wrong,” she smiled at him, and then closed the door behind them. She reached up to her face and tapped her temple, eyeing Goku with her crystalline blue eyes.

He stared at her for a moment, wondering many things. It took him a second to realize that she was referring to his scouter, and he jumped a little once he caught on, and then reached up and turned it off before removing it from his face. She held out her well-manicured hand, on which he couldn’t help but notice her ring, and he give his scouter to her, realizing that she, like Vegeta, did not like having private discussions leaked.

Bulma walked over to her workbench and set the device down as she rummaged through her belongings on the table. Goku watched her curiously, peaking around from behind her, but his nervousness kept him from getting too close.

Finally, she said, after finding what she was looking for and turning back to face him, “I must confess something to you, Goku, and I… I don’t know how to say it.”

Goku’s heart raced, but something in her eyes made him a little less nervous than before, and he wondered, earnestly, “What is it, Princess?”

She motioned for him to give her his wrist and she placed the device on it, and Goku realized it was the same machine he had seen Karina wearing earlier. She sighed as she got it fitted correctly and then let go and looked up at him with a tinge of sadness in her eyes.

“Bulma?” he asked, wondering what was going on with her in that moment, and what was going on with himself to make him care so much.

She smiled wearily and, almost as though she was forcing herself to admit it, she said, in a low voice, “I’m scared, Goku,” and just like that, all of her tough, confident exterior melted and she started to cry.

Instinctively Goku grabbed ahold of her and brought her into his arms and listened as she explained herself.

“I’m just so scared,” she said softly, tears flowing gently, wetting his shirt. “All these new faces. All these new demands. All this… this isn’t what I expected. I don’t know what I expected. I feel so safe when he’s here, but the moment he left I… I…”

“It’s going to be okay…” Goku replied, knowing that it was, but not really understanding anything at this moment. He understood he needed to protect her, and he understood why, but that was it.

She sniffled and pulled back, straightening herself up and wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. She admitted, “Vegeta said that you were brought here because the King trusted you to keep the women in line, if anything gets out of hand. And King Vegeta said that I could trust you, if no one else, and since you were Vegeta’s bodyguard and all, I _do_ feel better having you around…” she sniffed again and looked him in the eyes with seriousness and said, “Goku, I’m sorry, about what I said the last time you were here.”

He had no idea what she was talking about.

She straightened out her shoulders and went back over to the workbench, clearly looking for something, and then she explained, “I was frightened by the strength that you Saiyans have, and by _you_ having been the one sent here to destroy us to begin with. I didn’t realize how integrated our ways have become on Planet Vegeta, and how much they’re interested in simply understanding our ways. It baffles me, but I suppose it’s the same for us. We mirror that intrigue, but we’re much more cautious of you than you are of us, you know?” She picked up a piece of paper and a pen and began writing something down as she added, “I said some things I shouldn’t have said when you all first got here. I was actually trying to ward Vegeta away from me by being so brutally honest! I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with him. I hardly know how it happened, or if this is all even real, sometimes. It happened so fast…” She put the pen down and then rummaged through the table looking for something else, “And when I realized who _you_ were… I don’t know, I just freaked. But I was wrong. I didn’t know how much you liked visiting the Earth until after he told me. I guess I just assumed that… well I assumed something I shouldn’t have. And damn it, I know it’s only been two days, but I miss him, and I’m pretty sure that I’ll end up missing him more than I’ll get to enjoy seeing him and this whole thing kind of sucks for everyone, doesn’t it?” She turned around again after finding what she was looking for; a capsule, and she handed it over to Goku, along with the piece of paper and said, “Here. This is the passcode to that door. You can come here, anytime. And inside of this capsule is a set of the watches that communicate with each other. Please give those to the rest of the women.”

Goku took it and nodded at her, numb and at a loss for words. Her sentiments oddly mimicked his own, but he squashed those emotions down, too, and found himself actually appreciating where she was coming from. Apparently neither of them really get to have Vegeta, and Goku realized that she wasn’t any better off for being married to him than he was for being jilted by him, and in his heart he knew he couldn’t harbor any dislike for her. For some reason, he even respected her more for admitting to him that she had some ill and guarded feelings towards him, too, and it made his own previously troubled emotions quell and dissipate.

She smiled at him and said, “They’ve made you the Head Guard, you know. You’re the strongest amongst them, or so I’m told, and the most familiar with the Earth and with me, and apparently, you’re among the more level-headed of your kind,” he couldn’t help but laugh at that and her smile grew. She told him, “So! Congratulations on the promotion. From what Tarble told me, you all will have a lot of free time here, more than back home, and I want you to enjoy yourself. So, go exploring, Goku, whenever you’d like, I don’t mind. I want this to be your home as much as it is mine, and perhaps one day I’ll get to see Planet Vegeta myself. Hopefully I’ll be welcomed there, though I highly doubt your people are any happier about this marriage than mine.”

Goku smiled at her, saying, “Thank you,” but he didn’t know what else to say. He was touched by her speech and her thoughtfulness towards him, and he was moved by the truth in her words, although he hoped that one day things would change for the better between the two races.

“Well!” she smirked, cheering up a bit, “I’m gonna go! Here,” she turned back and grabbed his scouter, then handed it back to him, “Now go! Relax! I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Goku nodded and turned to leave, but he said, easily falling back into his line of duty, “What about getting you back to your room?”

“Oh, don’t worry,” she shook her head, still smiling faintly, “My home is safe. We’re on a hiring freeze, and we’ve already fired a lot of people as it is. Besides, these watches have an indicator on them for my energy signature, so you will always know where I am and be able to tell how my vitals are doing. It will go off if anything registers low.”

“Oh,” Goku smiled, “Okay! Goodnight…” and he turned to leave, putting the objects in his pocket as he turned his scouter on and headed out. He felt strange, but oddly satisfied, and he didn’t quite understand either of those emotions at the moment.

By the time he got back to the others, all of the guards were there, not just the newly arrived ones, and they were all laughing and chatting heatedly. When he came into the spacious living room where they were gathered in, he was met with nearly every single one of their gazes and he felt oddly stripped in front of them all. He ignored them and handed the capsule to Karina, explaining to her what was inside.

“Very good!” she smiled at him, clicked the button, and then threw it upon the table, telling the new girls to grab one. She explained to them how it worked, to which Goku also listened, and then their conversation ensued much as before, except some of it was now being directed at Goku.

“So!” one of the women barked, “ _Head Guard_ ,” she smirked, “I guess it pays to be fucked by the Princess’ Husband, hm?!” Many of the women laughed and started throwing around their own remarks about him and the situation.

Goku blushed and bristled before he said, decidedly stern, and demanding all of their attention, “Enough!” They were all taken aback by how serious he sounded for once and the room fell silent. He looked at all of them and growled, “I don’t want to hear another word! Prince Vegeta is _married_ and **she** is his _wife!_ Do you understand?!”

They cowered before him, some of them stone-still, but some nodded in agreement, afraid of him.

Goku calmed down and explained, in a harsh voice even Felia was unfamiliar with, “This isn’t about me, or him. It’s about her. I didn’t ask to be ‘head guard,’ and I don’t expect any of you to need someone to manage them! I just want to serve our King and in doing so, protect the Princess. I think we can all do that, but it’d be best if we did so while getting along, and that’s what I expect from all of you. If you don’t respect me, you _will_ respect her! Earth is our home, now, and she is our Royal, here. Act like it.”

At that he flopped down onto one of the couches and sat there, embarrassed, and lost in thought. Eventually the women struck up conversation once again, though much quieter than before.

Felia handed him a glass of wine and smirked at him when he looked in her direction. He took it, and took a big drink out of it, but his face held little emotion as he looked away from her. He had too much on his mind to talk but she didn’t expect him to, anyways.

After Goku’s outburst the first day they arrived, all of the women came to respect him and adhere to anything he had to say. They did not want to provoke him to anger for any reason, so they watched their mouths around him from then on and were most unwilling to bring up his past with their now married Prince. They relayed that message quickly to the new women when they arrived, and they knew that he was right, after all, and they had no reason to tease him for it. Whether it was a fling or not, they didn’t need Bulma finding out about it, and it would do none of them any good to bring it up again, even if it was just to get more information on the nature of the relationship itself, which none of them knew much about for sure.

His outburst did, however, give them a good amount of perspective on the man, as they noticed that he didn’t deny or accept their accusations, and that he didn’t deny or accept his position of authority over them. He only said that he wanted to do a good job, follow orders, and protect their Princess. So, they waited for him to slip up at every chance, fully expecting him to be a monster when it came to their regimens, and they watched him curiously when it came to dealing with Princess Bulma, thinking that he might be cruel to her for having married his ex-lover, but they soon found that those assumptions couldn’t be further from the truth.

He wasn’t any kind of a slave-driver, and they had it far easier with him as their superior to any other supervisor they’d had back on Planet Vegeta. He was stern if he needed to be, but only for a moment, and his decisions were absolute and fair. He was gentle, and just as hardworking as they were, if not more so, and to top it all off, he wasn’t the type to be disgruntled. If someone offended him, which seemed impossible to do, except for the aforementioned comments, he let the argument drop within minutes and never acted upon any kind of grudge. He was jolly in demeaner and even a bit lazy when it came to academics, wanting things to be simplified as much as possible, but he wasn’t stupid or annoying, and better yet, he wasn’t some sort of sleazeball asshole trying to hit on everyone and anything he could, including the weaker humans that would be easy prey for a man as handsome and powerful as him. Honestly, they all felt safe with him. He respected them and their space and left them alone to lead their lives the way they wished, and they did the same for him.

It did serve to make them wonder, though, if he spent a lot of his time thinking about home and Prince Vegeta, or… what was he thinking about every time he gazed up into the sky while he relaxed all alone?

A little over a month has now gone by and it went fast just as Karina said. All the previous guards went back to planet Vegeta, the second set of guards came to stay with them, and their routine seemed to fall into place quite simply. Actually, the women liked being on Earth much more than they ever thought that they would.

Bulma was busy, and she was a bit of a loner, but it seemed that she didn’t mind being fawned over by the women, who were honest with their opinions and critical of some things, but to Bulma their perspective was refreshing and welcome. They weren’t as catty as Earth-women tend to be, or as needy as them, either, and instead they seemed to lift one another up more than anything, and Bulma came to enjoy their company and their humor much more so than she’d initially thought she would, especially now that they’ve all started to trust one another. In fact, she saw the sixteen guards as a sort of sorority, where each of them brought their own unique benefit and talent to the table, and they looked out for one another, without being too involved in each other’s lives.

The Princess always travelled with at least two guards, and at most five, and she rotated them, as much as they were willing to give her extensive career choices a chance. Most of the women enjoyed the travel, although the car-rides and plane-rides were boring, they liked spending their time getting to see all sorts of new places and try all types of cuisine. Most importantly, Vegeta was right, Bulma felt much more secure having women protecting her than men, and even though the attempts on her life hadn’t stopped, the women were very good at their job, even sniffing out when food was poisoned or when certain guests were sending off scents of adrenaline and fear. No one had gotten even close to murdering the newly married Princess.

The threats themselves seemed rather ignorant considering what might happen if they were able to succeed, but the Princess’ Guard soon realized that Bulma’s life had always been threatened for one reason or another, even before becoming the newly crowned Princess of Earth. Bulma didn’t view herself that way, but with the money that she now held with her fortune being tied to that of Planet Vegeta’s, and the power that comes with it, that’s exactly what she is. She had to accept it, and so did they, although she authorized no sort of rule or law outside of her own business and its practices.

Goku found that he did, indeed, have more spare time than ever before, and he took Bulma up on her offer to train in the Gravity Machine as often as he could, but he found that he didn’t like it as much as he thought he might, not when there was so much to look at as far as the Earth’s land was concerned, and, like Vegeta feels, her machine isn’t as challenging as Dr. Buro’s.

Goku was itching for something new in his life, something more to fill his time with, but he hadn’t quite figured out what he was going to do with himself just yet.

As time wore on, even as little time as it has been in the grand scheme of things, he’s started to like Bulma increasingly more, and she, him. They had a mutual, underlying respect for one another, although they bantered like brother and sister at times, much to the surprise of the other guards. It was as though they were life-long friends, and while they certainly didn’t speak the same language when it came to their interests, they quickly developed an easy-going relationship with one another that neither of them could quite place. She spoke of new technology and possibilities and Goku spoke of adventure and training opportunity, and while he appreciated her application with helping him, she appreciated his opinions and determined that he was helpful to her, if not overly eager, especially when it came to her projects which involved Vegeta.

Bulma learned quickly that Goku would do anything for a good meal, and Goku learned that Bulma was every bit as narcissistic as Vegeta, so their friendship worked off of bartering and base communication. When he mentioned that she should change the gravity machine to that of Planet Vegeta’s gravity, Bulma growled at him for even bothering her with such an undertaking, but she agreed when he told her that Vegeta would be pleasantly surprised by the upgrade when he comes back to see her and she ultimately rewarded him with Bunny’s baking for the insight he gave her.

In his down time, Goku decided to get to know the Earth’s culture a little bit better, and he took every opportunity he could to go out exploring here the same way he would on Planet Vegeta, and for the first time in his visitations to the Planet, he noticed something curious that he’d always seemed to overlook before.

He felt a little foolish once he saw it for what it was, but when he did, it changed his mind about the people here for the better. It’s not that the Earthlings are truly only focused on gossip and one-upping their neighbors, and flighty things like clothing and cars, it’s that their society can only function in ways which the Saiyans are not hindered by, and so from a distance, those are the things which _seem_ most important to them, but they aren’t. Their people simply aren’t as strong, or as such, they aren’t as naturally capable, and so their means of attacking their challenges are much different from a Saiyan’s approach. They require their technology and they pride themselves in their advancements in the hopes of bettering the lives of all of those who live on the Earth.

Goku saw, too, once he gave them a chance, that the Humans are far kinder than he ever gave them credit for, and more considerate than he thought they might be once upon a time. Sure there are some bad seeds, but there are those everywhere, in all cultures, and all peoples, but for the most part, he now noticed that the Terran’s are a loving, giving, and humorous group that simply try to do the best with what abilities they have, and they never settle. Their struggles differ from what a Saiyan’s might be, but their hearts and spirits are made up of the same stuff.

Before, he only truly saw them from his perspective as a person above them in capability, and beyond their scope of achievement, but now he understands the everyday toils they go through, and the fights that they must conquer, and instead of disdaining them in what ways of theirs he _thought_ he knew, he grew to respect them, and appreciate them, and he found himself becoming rather protective of them, and their planet, in his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for all the love guys- the world really needs some of that right now- XOXO


	21. 21

Chapter 21

Bulma began to get a little irritated as the weeks passed and her new life’s demands began to sink in, but no one could blame her for it. Prince Vegeta sent several tutors and aids, just as he’d said, each of them with a different plan for educating the Princess on different aspects of her royal duties, as well as handling matters with discernment, privacy, and tact. It was harder than they thought, and not because Bulma was an ignorant woman, but because she was simply unavailable, and they could only stay for a few weeks at a time, before another set came in to teach her something else. This continued for months.

Bulma was much more annoyed by the disruption in her day than she was grateful for their advice and instruction. The tutors would insist that they didn’t have much time to teach her what she needed to know before they had to return, and she would insist that she had even less time than they did, and less patience, and to get on with it, but not until she was done with her work day, and she declared she must be left alone while she was working. So, they usually wound up doing their classes with her on her days off. Luckily for everyone involved, Bulma is a classy type of woman, always well dressed and always well mannered, and even when stressed she could smile and charm her way into or out of anything. The brilliance of the woman was astounding, even to the tutors, and everything they taught her she caught onto quickly, but after her lessons she would beg at least one of the guards to take her out for a drink at a private place so that she could relax in peace without the eyes of the tutors watching her every move.

She was snappy for sure, but she usually calmed down quickly. In fact, the only time she ever really lost her cool was when she was on the phone or a video call with Vegeta. She could be heard yelling at him, to which all of the Saiyans were surprised, but impressed. Even so, the Prince seemed to allow it. Actually, they weren’t sure that Vegeta wasn’t egging her on, because those conversations never ended poorly and from her barking laughter every once in a while at something the Prince said, they were clearly getting along despite their battles.

Apparently, the Prince understood where she was coming from, and they took their frustrations out on one another, since after all, they’re going through the same thing, but they always seemed to agree by the end of the phone call. Bulma would say that she wants him to come back and he would tell her he’s working on it, and their fight would end, but another argument would start up between them all over again a few days later. It was actually kind of cute.

The women, the aids, and the tutors saw a lot of similarities between her and the Prince, and they couldn’t help but joke with one another about how funny it is that they’d met and matched the way they did. Clearly, they were meant for one another.

The guard would ask the tutors how things were going on Planet Vegeta, and they told them that things were finally starting to settle down there. Prince Vegeta was busier than ever, and always training in the Gravity Machine when he wasn’t in meetings, while the people seemed to be charged with excitement at having the heir of the throne finally married, and they weren’t as upset about the circumstances behind the marriage as they had once been.

The threats on Bulma’s life have stopped, but that didn’t mean that there may never come another one and so they kept up their defenses, but they began to think that perhaps the people of Earth have come to understand that their lives are not under attack and so they’ve left the poor woman alone. Regardless, the guards kept watch over her and their home, and they were growing rather fond of the grounds and the caretakers, not to mention the many attractions of the cities surrounding them.

They were all assimilating to the best of their abilities by now, some of the women even enjoying shopping for the clothing the earthling’s wore, and they watched movies and caught up on current events, with curiosity and intrigue every time they found something strikingly similar or remarkably different from their own kind. The seldom wore their scouters anymore, and only used them for communication between the planets and their colleagues, but phones were sufficient enough for their families and loved ones. Everything else wasn’t that difficult to catch onto- their sleep schedule was very similar, even the seasons mimicked Planet Vegeta’s to some degree.

Goku finally found some clothing he didn’t mind wearing, orange workout pants with a dark blue shirt and boots, (he had several pairs of each) and they often saw him in those clothes whenever he could get away with not wearing a suit or something dressier. He took a liking to helping out with chores or tasks that would take a group of humans to perform, much to the glee of Bunny and Dr. Briefs, and he seemed to love the outdoors more than anything, since he didn’t have the attention span, or interest enough, to sit and watch a movie or read anything.

Actually, Goku was nowhere to be found a lot of the time, especially when he wasn’t scheduled to work, but no one questioned him. He seemed to pop in and leave without warning, and they didn’t mind, nor did they ever question him about where he was going. Every time he came back he smelled like sweat and sunshine and grass, and they just assumed that he was out somewhere training, because they noticed how well he was filling out and how healthy and strong he looks every time he stops by. As head guard, he wasn’t required to work the same way that they did, although he did take his turn going out with the Princess on occasion, he much preferred to do his own thing, and the women didn’t mind their fair share of the finer things that Earth had to offer, so it worked out that for everyone involved whenever he opted out from going with her.

One day, when Goku was particularly bored, he showed up in Bulma’s labs to see how her newest project was going, and she snapped on him.

“Goku! You just _appear_ out of nowhere sometimes! I’m trying to concentrate on something! Go back outside.”

“Sheesh,” he held up his hands in defense. She was just as ornery as Vegeta sometimes. “Sorry,” he grinned, “I just wanted to know how it was coming.”

Bulma didn’t have to even ask how he got in, none of the other guards could tell him what to do, so he came and went as he pleased when he wasn’t serving her directly, which wasn’t very often anyways. “Ugh, you are _not_ like the other bodyguards!” she growled after realizing that he wasn’t leaving, “You need a hobby, Goku! Get out!”

He huffed at her, and mumbled something about too much downtime, but he wasn’t really bothered by her, nor she him. He was getting used to her antics, and she was getting used to his. He spent a little bit more time walking around before he finally started to walk away, but then he saw something that caught his eye and he couldn’t help but go over to the counter and pick it up.

“What’s this?” he wondered aloud, and she glanced up to see what he was holding and then immediately stood up from her chair and went to try and snatch it from him.

“Don’t touch that!” she cried and reached out to retrieve the object.

“But what is it?” he asked again, allowing her to take it from him.

“It’s- It’s nothing!” she exclaimed and then she sat down again, exhausted. Goku eyed her carefully as she began to snap on him again, “I don’t have time for this, Goku! I have so much work to do! I shouldn’t have taken so much time off to go on that damn honeymoon!” she set the device down opposite of him, and held onto her head with one of her hands, then she concentrated on the computer screen in front of her, and resumed typing away viciously.

Goku rolled his eyes. He’s seen the pictures of the wedding and the honeymoon by now, and he knew very well, _perfectly well,_ actually, that she enjoyed herself immensely. Instead of letting himself be jealous over that, he let his curiosity get the better of him, and he reached out and grabbed the little clock-looking thing again, too fast for her to notice. He pressed the button on top of it to see if it would do anything. It did, and he watched as the machine started blinking, showing 5 little dots nearby, and then it seemed to scan and move as it located a sixth and seventh one, both somewhere very far away, in different directions.

“Hey,” he said to her, “Is this some kind of locator?”

Her eyes widened as she looked up at him and she said, “Damn it, Goku! What did I just say?!”

He grinned at her, stuck out his tongue and took off in the blink of an eye. She groaned in frustration but there was no point in trying to follow after him. She was just too tired and too busy to be bothered, anyways. Besides, she didn’t feel scared knowing that he had the Dragon Ball Radar. If it had been anyone else that took it, she’d be furious, but she could sense the goodness in his heart, and she figured that he was simply bored and looking for something to do.

Good, maybe he’ll find them, not that she would know what to wish for if he did, anymore, but at least then her lifelong pursuit won’t have been all for nothing. She’ll have to remember to bring it up to him later on, though. Whenever she sees him again, that is, he’s always out somewhere…

Goku went to his room where he inspected the device that he held for far longer than necessary before he decided he was going to find what those dots were. Some of them seemed to be located somewhere in the house, but first things first, he was going to get something to eat. He hid the machine away and headed to the kitchen. After eating his late-morning snack, he headed out for some sunshine, his mind filled with memories and thoughts he longed to will away, and he ended up falling asleep under a canopy in their backyard. No one disturbed him.

When he awoke a few hours later, he headed back inside to find some of the guard doing their normal routine, either working out or trying to learn some human skill, and he asked where Bulma was. They said she’d gone out again.

He couldn’t help but wish to get away every chance he got, and he didn’t blame her for doing the same, and so he hummed to himself and headed out shortly afterwards, planning to work out and find his own meal for the evening.

It was more often than not that he found himself in many of the Earth’s vastly different terrain and while most times he travelled to new places when he went out, he found a spot that he’s really come to love more than any other, out near the mountains, a good distance away from any cities and all those lights.

Exploring was his favorite thing to do as of late, and so day after day passed, and night after night waned, and he spent a lot of his time outdoors, relaxing, meditating, and training. He’s been on Earth for over six months now, and he’s finally starting to feel settled and at peace. Something about the sights, the scents, the tastes, and the feel of everything here puts his soul at ease and he welcomed it, but he still came mostly to the same spot in the mountains where he could train and hunt for game and be left alone with his thoughts.

Weeks continued to pass and Goku forgot about the machine he his under his mattress. He knew that he had vacation time coming up, since some of the women had already taken theirs, and he was looking forward to it, even though he hadn’t quite decided what to do with himself yet. The women of the guard constantly reminded him of his upcoming time off, and they insisted that he go somewhere for the duration of it. Some of them even went as far as to try and book him a vacation spot in another part of the world, but he wasn’t so sure he’d like that too much, especially since he would be going alone.

He figured that it wouldn’t hurt to be able to go somewhere and stay without the need to come back and check up on everyone, though, so he agreed that he would use the time to get away entirely, and he asked Bulma to borrow some of her equipment so that he could stay in a small capsule home in the mountains that he’s grown so fond of. Of course, he didn’t tell her where he was staying, or anyone else for that matter, and no one asked him, but he was looking forward to it. He had a month off and he planned on enjoying every bit of it.

When the day came Bulma gave him the capsule and told him to have fun. She was happy to have him out of her house for a while, but she knew that she’d miss having him around. Regardless, he’s been acting a little melancholy, and she didn’t know why, but she assumed he was just missing his home. She (and the rest of the guard agreed) figured the time off and gone without the responsibility of coming back on a schedule would do him some good.

Besides, Vegeta will be in town while he’s gone, and although she wondered why the King had scheduled Goku’s vacation at the same time that the Prince would come and go, she didn’t question it any further. She was much too wrapped up in thoughts of her own, and the idea of seeing her husband after so long, that she never even mentioned it. Goku was always coming and going as it is, and so he was none the wiser, and he took off the next morning with a bright smile she couldn’t help but chuckle at.

The women of the guard were pleased with this. It was their duty, as informed by the King, to get him away before the Prince arrived, and to be delicate about it, lest he or the Princess wonder what was going on. It seemed that Goku’s desire to get away coupled with their need to have him gone for a while and it simply worked out. Even Felia, who felt bad for not mentioning Vegeta’s impending arrival (since they were under direct orders not to, of course), couldn’t help but agree with the King’s decision in their conjuring up such a scheme and keeping the information from Goku. The less he knew the better, and the more time apart he has from the Prince, the less of a chance there might be of something happening between them again. Besides, Bulma is stressed out enough as it is, and Goku was right, they’d all really come to like her. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust him to keep his hands off their newly married Prince, no, they believed that he wouldn’t jeopardize the marriage, but the King obviously thought enough about the previous secret affair to consider it a problem, and so they had no choice but to follow orders.

Goku popped open the capsule in a good enough spot for his tastes and set down his little pack of things inside, sighing a little to himself as he stepped back out of the front door and looked around. He figured he’d train a little first, and then maybe take a dip in the nearest waters he could find.

A few hours later, he was sore and tired, but he felt amazing from the hum of good exercise. He could practically taste the freedom of having his own time to himself for a little while, and it was intoxicating. Never in his life has he had this much down time, and not wanted for something more in it.

He cracked his back and his shoulders as he headed in search of some clear waters to climb into, and that’s when he saw the perfect location. It looked like a small swimming hole, with a waterfall cascading gently down into light blue waters that ran off into a stream he was sure that met with a river somewhere down the way.

Taking his clothes off, he stepped into the waters, relaxing his arms and back on the stones that seemed perfectly placed for just that and he let out a deep, contented sigh.

“Hey! You can’t be in there! Those waters are sacred!” a voice yelled.

Goku jumped a little and turned, wondering who was talking and what they meant, and when he looked behind him, he saw a lovely young woman with stern eyes wearing a strange outfit and carrying an axe.

“Are you deaf?!” she cried, “Get out at once!”

“Huh?” he finally asked, still staring at the woman blankly. She was so beautiful he was taken aback by her immediately. She almost looked Saiyan, with dark hair pulled back into a bun, gentle pieces of it pulled down to frame her face, and matching onyx eyes, which pierced into his in her distress. It finally dawned on him that she was yelling at him.

“Who are you?! Where did you come from?! This is Fire Mountain! My father’s land! He’s the Ox King! You can’t be in there!”

“Oh,” he said, finally connecting her words. He hoisted himself out of the waters and apologized, telling her, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. The Ox King, huh? I’ve never heard of him.”

The woman blushed and gasped, looking him up and down quickly as she stepped back before turning around completely and covering her eyes with one of her hands. “You’re naked!” she cried, mortified, “How indecent of you! Exposing yourself to me like that!”

Goku laughed and apologized again, but simply said, “I was just relaxing a bit, sorry. I didn’t realize those waters meant so much.”

The woman huffed but was clearly caught off guard and she could hardly reply other than to say, again, “Those waters are not to be touched! Now get out of this land! This is my home!”

“Really?” Goku asked, as he dried himself with his ki and pulled on his clothes. “I’ve never seen you before, and I’ve been coming here for a while, now.”

Her eyes still squeezed shut and covered by her free hand, she replied heatedly, “You’re not welcome- whoever you are- we own this land and you’re disrespecting it!”

“Hey!” Goku said laughingly, “I didn’t know…” and he walked up to her, coming around to face her. He reached out and gently put a hand on her wrist, wanting to see her eyes again. He was far too interested in her to simply leave like she was wanting.

She gasped as he touched her, pulling her hand away, and her eyes shot open and stared into his.

“I’m Goku,” he smiled and bowed a little, never taking his gaze off of her face and reluctant to let go of her hand.

She was defensive, though, and she removed her hand from his grasp and took another step back, but she couldn’t help but stare right back at him, her heart racing.

“What’s your name?” he asked, still smiling softly at her.

The woman blushed and answered, confused by his unassuming nature, “My name is Chi Chi,” and she considered talking to him a little longer, and being a little nicer, but then her senses came back to her and she declared, “I am the Ox King’s daughter! I will only tell you one more time, _Goku_ , leave! Now! You can’t stay here!”

Goku laughed and said, “Why is that? I said I was sorry?” not understanding what her problem was, and not willing to let the conversation end. He was captivated by her fiery spirit, and her fine features, and he stepped closer, inspecting every detail of her face, even as she stepped back.

She was too stunned by him to form a reply, so instead she held up the ax she was holding and threatened, “Don’t come any closer! I know martial arts!”

“Really?” Goku asked, excitedly, “Would you like to spar some?”

“Huh?!” She blushed, but in her frightened state she swung at him, in an effort to get him to back off. She found him woefully handsome, and dangerously close, and her curiosity of him was threatening to get the better of her. She wasn’t used to talking to strangers like this, much less seeing anyone, and she had to get back home.

Goku grabbed a hold of the ax with ease though and didn’t seemed fazed in the least.

“Let go!” she commanded, and he did, as she argued, “I have to go. So do you! Leave! Now!”

“Ohhkaayyy,” Goku laughed, throwing his hands up to try and calm her down. He began to walk away, his eyes still on her, captivated. As he got a good distance away, he hollered, “Hey, maybe you could meet me here tomorrow? Same time? Chi Chi…?”

“NO!” she screamed, her blush enhancing her cheeks, “GO!”

Goku only chuckled as he ran off, but he silently hoped she would change her mind.

The next day Goku waited for her in the same spot for hours. He peered into the waters but respected her request for him to stay out of them, and he watched the trees as they swayed and listened to the sounds of nature, hoping to hear her footsteps coming any minute. He stood and he sat as he waited for her patiently, and then finally he laid down with a quiet yawn. He was just about to give up on her and get up to head back to his capsule home when he fell asleep.

When he awoke to being poked by the end of a stick he saw her face staring down into his and he sat up quickly, much too quick for her liking, as she immediately came down on him with another weapon of her choice, this time, a frying pan.

“Ow! Hey! What was that for?” he whined, holding onto his head as he looked up at her.

She seemed stunned into silence, but the blush on her face wouldn’t go away, and her eyes wouldn’t leave his.

The pain she inflicted only lasted so long and Goku stood to his feet, smiling up at her.

Before he could speak, she told him, “I thought I told you to go back where you came from.”

He grinned, “I’m glad you changed your mind about meeting me here.”

“I- I didn’t!” she argued defensively, “I was just checking to see if you had listened to me and left like I told you to! Clearly you didn’t!”

Goku nodded, “Well, I did, but I came back in hopes of seeing you again,” he dared to take a step closer as he said her name, “Chi Chi…”

“Stop that!” she said, a little more wistfully than she meant to, but she stood her ground against him. This time she asked, “Who are you, anyways? I know your name, but that’s not enough, Goku! You aren’t from around here. I can tell. How did you find this place?”

He told her the truth, “I’ve been travelling a lot recently, and when I came upon this mountain range, I loved it so much that I keep coming back to it. I’ve been wandering around here for a few months, now. What about you?” he wondered, “You said you live here? How lucky.”

Chi Chi finally began to drop her guard, and she replied, giving him a queer gaze, “I’ve lived here all my life. We don’t get many visitors…”

Goku stomach growled and she seemed even more caught off guard as he laughed and scratched the back of his head, saying, “Sorry ‘bout that. It’s been a minute since I’ve had anything to eat.”

Chi Chi didn’t know exactly what came over her, but something about his gentle nature and her well-meaning one caused her to offer, “I am an excellent cook. Would you like to come to my home? My father would certainly want to meet you,” she fumbled, throwing in warily, “That is- Since you insist on not leaving his land!”

“Oh boy! Would I ever!” Goku agreed, his smile brightening up even her discontent mood.

Something about him made her smile back, and she said, “Fine. Follow me. You can tell me more about yourself once we get to my home, and you can tell my father why you insist on disobeying his orders!”

Goku grinned and followed right along, asking her all sorts of questions about their surroundings and her home. She shyly told him to wait for answers until they got back, and she hoped that her father would understand why she brought him to her, even though she didn’t know what she was thinking, herself.

The Ox King and Goku hit it off right away, though, and Chi Chi’s embarrassment at bringing home the man was quickly forgotten when the small family of two saw how much the man ate and how simple-minded he behaved. He wasn’t threatening or intrusive, and Chi Chi found herself enraptured by him the more he talked with her father, although she found it difficult to speak with him herself.

Goku smiled at her all through the night and asked them both all sorts of questions about the land and their history, and although Chi Chi was quiet and reserved, the Ox King, who was genial to him after seeing that he wasn’t any threat, answered all of his questions and more. Eventually he started asking Goku about where he came from and how he came to find their home, curious about him the more they spoke. Goku was honest with him, telling him that he works for Princess Bulma at Capsule Corp., as the head guard, and that he’s a Saiyan, but that right now he’s on vacation.

At last Chi Chi spoke up, “Princess Bulma at Capsule Corp? You’re a Saiyan?!” she wondered in surprise, “What is that, exactly? You don’t act like… anything other than a man?”

“What does a Saiyan act like?” Goku wondered, and he considered that perhaps she lives so far away that she’s never heard of his kind before, but he didn’t know how to answer any of her questions. Perhaps she lives so far away that she’s unfamiliar with everything he just said.

“Never mind,” Chi Chi said, shutting down her side of the conversation once more, although she seemed to be lost in thought.

Goku smiled, “Actually, you kind of look _and act_ like a Saiyan, if you don’t mind me saying so, Princess.”

Chi Chi blushed but said nothing in reply, and the conversation carried on between her father and Goku.

The Ox King explained, “We don’t get out much unless to go to town, and only when we absolutely need to, young man. We know of Capsule Corp, but I can only assume that Bulma is the young heiress to that business. The one that recently got married. I’ve heard talk of it from the town over. But I will say that we didn’t know that Saiyans have come to live on the Earth with us, already. These are strange times, indeed. You are very far away from home,” and he looked at him deeply, clearly thinking many things.

Goku smiled and said, “Yep, you got it. There aren’t many of us here for now, and I honestly don’t know what my King’s plans are for that, but I’ve always liked the Earth,” He turned to Chi Chi and added, “I’ve always thought the Earth was beautiful, especially recently…”

Chi Chi blushed and refused to look at him, uncertain that she knew what he was saying, but the Ox King smiled and continued to speak with him for several hours. He was grateful for Goku’s appreciation of their food, their home and hospitality, and their time, and he grew to like him very much, even during such a short amount of time as it had only, after all, been one evening.

Finally the King of Fire Mountain declared that he was fine with Goku coming and going from his lands, and he offered for him to stay the night if he wished, but he said that he’s tired, and then he went to bed quickly.

Chi Chi seemed a little put off by her father’s willingness to leave her alone with this person, but then again, she was the one who brought him home in the first place.

Goku stood up, sensing her distress, and said, “Thank you for the meal, and the company, everything was amazing, but I think I’m going to go.”

“Wait,” she asked, standing up with him, “You’re the one who wanted to see me again. Was that all you wanted? A free meal? And a pass for your trespassing?” Then her eyes closed, and she turned away, clearly arguing with herself.

Goku turned her around gently to face him once more, telling her, “No. It’s not like that… Maybe you could meet me again… tomorrow?”

She looked from one of his eyes to the other for some time before she finally nodded, and she watched him go, curious and smitten.

The whole month flew by as Goku and Chi Chi got to know another, spending time together each and every day, talking out in the sun as they walked around her father’s land. Chi Chi would laugh quietly at the strange things Goku would say, and Goku was so playful with her and curious about her as well. Their flirting was precious, sweet, and innocent.

He was always finding some excuse to touch her, whether it was gently touching her hand as he helped her cross a stream, or feeling her fingertips as he handed her a flower he picked for her, or lifting her up by her waist to set her up higher so she could watch the sunset with him, and she quickly but quietly realized was falling for him.

He led her to his temporary home and showed her how he cooked for himself, and she was amazed by his strength and his knowledge of self-sustainability, regardless of the house itself, which looked hardly lived in. She allowed him to ultimately convince her to spend the night, when Goku finally made her certain that he meant her no harm, and she could no longer deny her attraction to him. They kissed and it set her soul ablaze and Goku felt as though he had truly found someone that he could care for, someone who would let him simply be himself. Someone to fill that void, or at least, partially.

She wouldn’t allow their physical encounters to go any further than passionate kisses and gentle caressing, but Goku didn’t mind. He wasn’t in any rush to make love to her, and he knew he could come see her, again and again, for as long as she would allow him to come back to her. Going back to work wasn’t going to keep him away from her, and subconsciously he began conjuring up ideas of how to go about making her his own. After all, he lives here, now. This is his home. He might as well make the most of it.

Vegeta arrived and everything went by in whir. He and Bulma spent a lot of intimate time together, plenty of it, actually, although Vegeta seemed more than a little bit distracted when they _weren’t_ alone. He darted his eyes around the house at times and seemed overeager to leave whenever it came time for the couple to go to a meeting.

Bulma knew that he was stressed, of course, so was she, and she was able to help work off some of it from him, and from herself, while they were alone, but she couldn’t seem to get him to relax entirely if anyone else was around. All the same, she couldn’t really blame him for that. She got the feeling they were constantly being watched, but she was too caught up in his presence to be bothered by it and he never voiced any concern to her at all, other than the matters that he was there to attend to.

She was feeling immensely better having him back, and she could tell he was glad to see her, but she wasn’t able to get him to open up about everything that was bothering him. The only time they seemed to really get along was when they were in bed together, everything else was a little more trying and a lot more frustrating, but she chalked it up to circumstances.

It’s not that they argued between themselves, really. They found that their personal opinions were quite similar, but it was more that Vegeta seemed determined to accomplish everything he came to do and more, and he was always on schedule and stubborn about remaining unreadable, even to her. Such things would frustrate any woman. There was to be no public display of affection between them aside from holding hands when they weren’t at Capsule Corp., and no extensive conversing with one another unless they were doing so in private. Vegeta was strict with his men, and even the guards that Bulma’s gotten to know over the past eight months acted like almost completely different people around him.

Bulma didn’t know if it was because they were all afraid of him, or because this was simply how he expected them to behave. She couldn’t help but notice, after seeing him with so many more of his subjects than just the three that had come with him before, and without a wedding to distract her from all the details, that he ran a much tighter ship than she had ever imagined and she wondered how he managed to keep them all in line without ever saying a word to them.

More than that, she wondered about his past, and what caused him to be so serious, and how loyal they all must be, and she wondered why it is that they are all so loyal to begin with. Could it possibly be the power at his fingertips? Or was it something else, something in his history that she’s unaware of. Or is it that he has simply been born and molded to rule since birth? She didn’t know, but she did respect him for it, even if she couldn’t understand it.

She considered that perhaps she ought to be a little more like him, but she cast that thought aside quickly. He was so hardened, and so severe, and in those ways, she could never be like him. They were both quick with their wit and their observations, though, and their humor was much the same, and when he would throw a sly, swift smirk her way from across the table while they listened to someone drone on and on, she realized that he didn’t want her to be like him, he was content in knowing that they were enough alike to understand and appreciate one another, and that was good enough for both of them. They got to have their freedom, and their passion, without having to bow to each other’s every whim, or change who they were in the process.

Vegeta spent nearly every moment of his time with her, by her side, whether they were out at dinner, or staying in the house, and everyone watched them closely, no doubt gauging their relationship for depth and connection that they doubted could possibly be there. Vegeta was well aware of this, but he didn’t tell Bulma, because he didn’t want to put it into her mind that they needed to put on a show, regardless if they were being watched like one or not. The only time that he left her side was when one or the other was called away on business matters, and even then, it was only a few hours of down time in between the two of them seeing one another again.

Vegeta, did, however have plans to go and visit someone that he knew from prior conversations with Bulma that she disagreed in him meeting up with, but he ultimately won that argument and he headed out to go and speak with the man, leaving Bulma to contend with most of his guard and hers for the evening.

She almost wished for a second that Goku were here, something about his smile makes her feel at ease, and she wanted to ask him more about Vegeta, since he knows him better than her, but the women seemed to distract her well enough, flattering with compliments on good of a couple the two of them make and how surely she must be on “cloud 9” having him here, as the Earthling’s say. They all clamored that he’s looking better than ever, if it were possible, stronger, and more handsome even, and they claimed to be a little jealous of how attentive he’s being with her, since they were missing their significant others as well. They told her sincerely that they have never seen him behave in such a way with anyone else and that she should be so pleased, and she should certainly make the most of it.

Bulma loved hearing that, and she couldn’t deny that she was elated. The women were right. Vegeta was able to balance everything perfectly, and although he would snap a little from time to time, he regained his composure rather quickly and most of his focus was on her, and she liked it that way. Anytime she got riled up by anything all he had to do was push her up against the wall, or onto the bed, or on top of a table, or lift her into the air, whatever. It didn’t matter anymore while his lips on hers and his arms pulled her close, as his cock filled her so completely. During those moments and after, everything else just sort of went away. Damn him for making it so easy to forget all of their troubles. All he had to do was come onto her and she would completely lose all semblance of what she was thinking about in the first place.

Vegeta seemed to leave as quickly as he came, though, which Bulma hated, but their schematics for shortening the distance between the planets were being worked on diligently, as well as other ideas which would make it possible for a human to go to Planet Vegeta, and they held on to those dreams as they kissed and said goodbye, until next time.

When Goku returned a few days later he had a pack on his back, a picture in his hand, and the dumbest grin on his face that any of the women had ever seen. He greeted them sweetly and absentmindedly and they welcomed him back, some more suspiciously than others.

Felia waltzed straight up to him, suspicious, and snatched the picture from him before he could stop her. She gasped as she jumped back and away from him, refusing to let him have the picture back when he whined and reached for it. She said, “Well! My, my, Goku! Who is _this_?!”

The other women immediately jumped up and ran over to see who it was in the picture, and they saw a pretty young feminine woman snuggled up next to their Head Guard, both of them smiling dotingly in front of a sunset. The women cried out in their joy and immediately bombarded him with questions about his mystery lady. Goku could only blush and laugh and he told them that he didn’t have all the answers they were looking for, yet, but that her name was Chi Chi, and that they were in the beginning of a new and very promising relationship.

A month later, back on Planet Vegeta, the eldest Prince immediately went to speak with Dr. Buro about the latest advancements on their projects. The doctor told him that he felt he was getting close, but that he still couldn’t be certain that the pods were ready. He was currently doing some trial runs on them, and he promised he would get back to him.

Vegeta, in return, gave him the name and contact information of another scientist, Dr. Gero, and told him to expect to receive a call from him sometime in the near future, and he asked him if he hasn’t been contacted by him already.

“Ahh,” Dr. Buro nodded, “No, I have not, but I believe I’ve heard of him a time or two from Dr. Briefs. So, you enlisted the help of another scientist, hmm? Do you think he’ll be able to expedite our findings, my Liege? Or is there something else he’s got that you want?” Vegeta only smirked. The doctor smiled, knowingly, “Yes, well, I’m sure having another brilliant mind can’t hurt. Perhaps Bardock may be of some assistance to us, too?” he chuckled, “You seem more inclined to get this finished than ever before, if you don’t mind my saying so, and Bardock does have a mind for this kind of job.”

Vegeta replied, “I’ve never been a patient man, Dr. Buro, so don’t take it personal. As for Bardock I highly doubt he has the time, although I do wonder what it is exactly that my father keeps him so busy with. The two of them seldom seem to be apart when it come it comes to their meetings. Even I don’t know what all they have need to discuss, and so secretly. Perhaps I’ll look into it.”

The doctor could only nod as the Prince took off, always in a hurry, but he wondered many things, although he knew better than to bring any of his questions up to the strong-willed Prince.

Vegeta arrived at the castle and spent the next week or so up to his neck in meetings that he really wished could go on ignored. Thankfully Tarble was with him for most of them, which put him in a little bit of a better mood. His brother seemed much more adept to dealing with these types of things, and they didn’t seem to get under his skin the same way they grated on his nerves. He was a little envious of Tarble’s easy going way of employing his opinion without ever having to actually stress over whether the decision was a well-made one or not, regardless that it usually was. His mind was calculating in a different way than Vegeta’s. It just seemed to come natural to him, but Vegeta would never tell him that.

Vegeta had to admit, even if it was only to himself, that he’s been a little bored ever since Kakarot left to go to Earth to stay with his wife. He’s been a little distracted actually, absentminded almost, even with him gone. He could admit to himself, as well, that even as much as he knew he was better off for not seeing him while he visited her, he almost wished that he had at least caught a glimpse of the man, and he wondered at the fact that Kakarot didn’t try, not even for a second, to stop by and see him. He wondered how they got him to stay away, or if, perhaps, he stayed away on his own accord. Did he not know that his Prince was on Earth? Surely, he did. Or perhaps he didn’t… Vegeta couldn’t be sure and he knew better than to bring it up to _anyone_ , especially his father and his brother.

They were both better off for not seeing one another, though. Weren’t they?

Vegeta knew perfectly well that his father’s men, of whom went with him to Earth, were watching him very closely, making sure he didn’t mess anything up, mainly by making sure that he never saw Kakarot while he was there and that he got plenty of time to be alone with Bulma. He’s not stupid. He knew that’s why his father’s men were travelling with him, and specifically, men that hadn’t belonged to his own crew beforehand.

If any of his own men had gone, they would have asked Bulma’s guard about Kakarot, and tried to get a second away to go see him. Even they missed him, and they’ve all only known him for a short amount of time. Vegeta’s heard them talking about him when they thought he wasn’t listening, and he couldn’t help but tune in to hear everything they said every time they brought up his name.

In fact, anytime he heard his name being spoken, period, he paid just a little more attention. Whether it was Raditz bringing him up casually to his father, or Jero remarking on how bad his table manners were, or how dull it’s been in the guard since he’s left: Vegeta was more at ease to hear someone speak of him at all than he was to have his name smeared out from existence entirely. It seemed that even after so long, his obsession wasn’t done.

Even seeing Bardock’s face in this very meeting bothered him, as he could do nothing but imagine Kakarot’s in place of it, and he had to tear his eyes away from the man more than once.

What the big deal is about Kakarot, though, he couldn’t say. And why he wanted to hear more of him, he didn’t know. Why he had to leave, even, he still wasn’t certain. Surely his father didn’t really care if he had an affair with Kakarot. Perhaps there was something else that bothered him about the whole thing.

The fact that the man is a second-class maybe? Or is it the fact that he wants an heir to the throne, and not to have to worry about his obsessive Prince for a son who can’t keep his thoughts where they belong, with his _wife_. Maybe he thinks that he _loves_ him.

Even if he had seen him, he doesn’t think he would have stooped so low, though. No, he wouldn’t have cheated. He just wanted to see him, that’s all. What’s so wrong with that? Surely one day they could see one another as indifferent acquaintances. Surely, their existence can’t be separated, or ignored, forever.

Vegeta shook his head of his thoughts as the meeting ended, and he stood up quickly to make his escape, dismissing his guards the moment he broke free of the rest of the group.

Tarble quickly did the same, telling his guards that they were free to go, before he ran up to his brother in an attempt to speak with him. They haven’t gotten a moment together to talk since Vegeta got back and Tarble was scheduled to go and visit the Earth, next, and soon.

“Brother! Wait up!” he called after him.

Vegeta stopped for a moment and turned to him, growling out at him in annoyance at being tailed, but allowing him to catch up, nonetheless.

“How was your time on Earth?!” Tarble wondered sweetly, as they fell into stride together walking briskly through the halls, “Tell me, are things calming down there?”

“Hn,” Vegeta answered, “That I wouldn’t know, as far as the Earthlings are concerned. You would think that they would realize we’re not out to get them, by now. But the Guards there insisted that things have been going fine as far as Bulma is concerned. I was busy, though, Tarble. I know nothing else.”

Tarble grinned at him and said, “Have you talked to Commander Raditz since your return?”

“No,” Vegeta answered simply.

“Well!-” Tarble started, but Vegeta’s phone rang, which was unusual, and it struck them both as odd.

“It’s Bulma,” Vegeta said, before answering the phone in a gruff voice, “What is it, woman? This is not a scheduled call time!”

Tarble couldn’t help but chuckle at his brother’s poor attitude and he might feel bad for the female if she weren’t so good at shooting his attitude right back.

Vegeta suddenly stopped walking though as he listened to what she had to say and Tarble had to stop and turn as well, his curiosity getting the better of him and making him forgo what he had planned to say to him when he saw a strange look engulf his brother’s entire face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because it takes a month to get from one planet to the other, the timing of events may be difficult to follow from here onward, so just bare with me, because I'm getting a little confused myself, but I'm trying to make it as easy to follow as possible.


	22. 22

Chapter 22

The women seemed very reluctant to mention that Vegeta had been here, at first, but they knew they couldn’t keep the information from him, so they came right out and admitted it the evening of Goku’s return, speaking about it as casually as they could, and only mentioning it to one another, as to not involve Goku directly. They watched and waited for his response, gauging his reaction to the news to the best of their ability.

Goku was surprised, among other emotions he couldn’t place immediately, but he played it off as though he was distracted and indifferent. He _was_ distracted, but he was not indifferent.

After Vegeta’s name was mentioned, in his determination to not show any emotion about him other than a dutiful respect for the man that would one day be his King, he laughed at something someone said, said very little in response to their chat about his visit, and avoided eye contact with nearly all of them. Eventually the women of the guard had ended their discussion of the elder Prince and it turned to other things, and Goku hung around for as long as he could stand it, before he went off to be alone, claiming to be exhausted.

The last thing he wanted was for them to believe that he’s still in love with him. He honestly didn’t know what he felt anymore, but he believed that there was no way he could possibly still have feelings for him. Maybe he was just still hurt by the way that things had gone down. He wasn’t sure.

They treaded lightly on the topic altogether over the next few weeks, no doubt thinking many things, the likes of which Goku didn’t want to know anything about. He busied himself by investing his time in training and Chi Chi, but he knew something was off. Even as days passed, if they noticed that Goku was paying attention to any conversation about Vegeta they inadvertently had while in his presence, they either snubbed it out quickly, or turned to him and began to discuss Chi Chi, asking him how things were going.

He wasn’t sure if they pitied him, or if they were trying to figure out where his head was, but he was grateful he didn’t have to pretend to not be thinking about him for long or try too hard to remain aloof when it came to the topic of the Prince. Instead, they fawned, and they fussed over his new lover, and they insisted that they get to meet the young lady at her earliest convenience.

Goku agreed with that idea, hoping he could convince her to come with him to visit, and he let his thoughts wonder her direction as often as he could, and ignored the plaguing thoughts of missing Vegeta with everything he had.

Chi Chi was helping out with lessening the blow to his heart very much and he couldn’t have been more grateful to her in ways she would never understand, and never know. He continued to see her every spare moment he got, and he cared for her more deeply each time he did. Only a little over two months have gone by since they met, but he was happier with her than anything, and at least their relationship was out in the open. Hell, he’s already told Raditz and Bardock about her, sending them a picture of the photo that they had taken, and writing that he was doing well during his stay. To say that his family is excited about him being in a relationship, and with a woman, is an understatement. Goku was glad that he didn’t have to be there to discuss it with them in person.

Honestly, he was upset to learn that he had missed Vegeta’s visit entirely. He would have liked to see him, even if just for a minute, even if just in passing.

He figured, after thinking more about it, that it had probably been planned that way. Someone had enough foresight to consider that if Goku hadn’t been away on vacation, then things might not have gone as smoothly as they did, at least, that’s how he heard it had been from the rest of the guard.

Was it Vegeta that wanted to keep him at bay? Or Prince Tarble? Or his King? He didn’t know that his existence, or lack thereof, meant so much to the Royal Family.

He asked Bulma, as nonchalantly as he could, why she never mentioned it, and Bulma said that she had meant to, but that she simply forgot. Likewise, she was much too busy with Vegeta now gone to ever get a moment in conversation with Goku about him like she wanted to. Goku never brought it up again, either- he didn’t know the bullet he was dodging inadvertently- and besides, once Bulma heard about Chi Chi, she was just as enthusiastic about her as everyone else and the topic of Vegeta was dropped between them altogether.

He didn’t know what he would do if he saw Vegeta again, anyways, not that he intended to _do_ anything, simply that he couldn’t help his feelings for the man, whatever they may be called. He couldn’t help missing him or thinking about him. What harm could come from saying hello? He guessed he’d have to wait for another opportunity and he knew that one would eventually arise. He definitely won’t fall for it next time the women all try to get him out of the house. He should have known they wanted him gone for a reason.

Then again, he was glad he wasn’t there. According to what they’ve been saying when they didn’t know he was just around the corner to hear it, Vegeta and Bulma seemed to be doing _very_ well together.

Good for them. It’s time for him to move on, too.

Upon returning to Capsule Corp. after one of his trips to Fire Mountain, Bulma called for him to talk for a minute and he went to see her straight away, curious to know what she could want so early in the morning.

The moment Goku arrived, she stood up and dismissed the other two guards who were sitting with her, chatting freely, and she told him to have a seat. He did so but when he looked back up to her face, he grew a little anxious at what she might be about to say. Her pretty face was marked with confidence and resolve.

“Now, Goku,” she smirked as she glared down at him, “You have something of mine and I want it back.”

“Oh?” Goku asked, slightly less worried than before, and his mind immediately went to the little clock-looking thing still hiding in his room.

“Where is it?” she asked, her eyes baring into his whole face.

Goku grinned, “What’s the big deal? I was just curious about it! I still have it!”

“Oh yeah?! You’d better if you know what’s good for you!” she snapped, but she didn’t seem nearly as mad as she was annoyed, and she added, “I think you know what that machine is! Are you sure you’ve just been going to see Chi Chi and _not_ running around the whole planet?! You’ve been gone an awful lot!”

“Wha-? No! Actually, I haven’t even gotten it out since I… borrowed it,” he scratched the back of his head laughingly, “I kind of forgot I had it!”

“Really?” she wondered, and then she sighed and took a seat herself. “Oh, Goku, I feel like I’m losing my mind! I’m so tired and out of it… and I just… I don’t really feel like myself recently… I’ve been fighting off feeling a little ill.”

“Huh?” Goku wondered but he didn’t push her for more information.

The device on his wrist began indicating that she was in pain and he knelt down in front of her to try and assess her better, but he couldn’t tell what was going on from the outside looking in and she was insisting that she was okay. When two other guards came running into the room to see what was going on, he was holding onto her shoulders, asking her to tell him what was wrong. The two women lifted her to her feet as she tried to protest.

“I’m fine,” she told them stubbornly, “I just, I don’t feel well… all of the sudden…”

“We’re taking you to the doctor,” one of them said.

“No! What about my work? My schedule?! I have a whole day of things planned!” Bulma argued.

“Your work can wait!” the second one insisted, “You look a little pale. Let’s go, now.”

Goku watched as they all but carried her away. He was curious about what could be the matter, but he hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. He decided the rest of the women should know what was going on and so he called for them to meet in the common room while they wait for news of Bulma, and he met them there.

They were all in a panic wondering what was going on with their Princess by the time he got there. They had never seen her have anything more than a little cold wrong with her, and they hoped it was nothing serious. They waited impatiently for her to return, while Goku took a nap in the downtime. For some reason, he had a feeling that Bulma was fine.

When the Princess returned home, she ran to her bedroom without a word and shut herself off from everyone, calling only for her mother, and forgoing the rest of her workday for once.

When the guards who had gone with her returned to the others, they had the craziest grins on their faces. The women woke Goku up and begged them to tell them what was going on with the Princess.

“She’s pregnant!” They cried and the squeals and screams of glee that followed could be heard all throughout the house.

Goku almost couldn’t believe it, but deep inside, he was happy for her, and happy for Vegeta, among other emotions he couldn’t quite decipher. While they celebrated, he forgot all about the strange machine he’d hidden away in his room and could only think of Chi Chi and his own future.

Another couple of weeks passed and Bulma was being coddled by the women to the point of annoyance, but she was pleased by everything, nonetheless. She has long since contacted Vegeta and told him the news, and they both agreed not to mention anything to the press until she was past the point of any complications arising.

Everyone at Capsule Corp. was buzzing with glee, especially Bunny and Dr. Briefs, and none of them could hardly speak of anything else. Well, almost anything else.

Prince Tarble was on his way to Capsule Corp., and Goku was a little nervous to see him. Besides that, Bulma was getting more agitated about her projects, the pregnancy she was suffering through, and Vegeta’s invisible hand in her work than she wanted to admit.

Goku, after spending most of his time away, realized that it still wasn’t enough to keep him from getting restless. He was really hoping to find something to keep him busy while Tarble was visiting, so he waited until it was later in the evening, and he got out the little machine that he’d stolen and brought it to Bulma’s attention, while she was alone in the privacy of her labs. She’s been working a lot of overtime recently, and when he saw her, he couldn’t help but notice that she looked drained.

She laughed a little when he set the device down on the table in front of her, and she looked up at him to see him smiling that goofy, charming smile of his. She picked it up and hummed a little to herself, her eyes shining in reminiscence, before she handed it to him in response. He wondered why she would do that but secretly hoped that she was giving him permission to go on the journey he knew it would take to find whatever it was that that machine was pointing to.

She sat back in her cushioned chair and revealed, “You really don’t know what that is, do you?”

“Nope,” he grinned, “But I’ve turned it off and on plenty of times to know that it’s a map of some sort.”

Bulma rolled her eyes, “You know what? Come with me. I want to show you something.”

Goku was excited for her compliance, and he followed her eagerly, watching her form as they travelled deeper into the house than Goku thought was possible to go.

She told him, as they walked, “You know, although some Saiyans are aware of this, most of them aren’t. The same goes for the humans here…”

Goku listened contentedly as she stopped for a moment, opening a door with some sort of passcode as she held onto her barely-there baby bump, rubbing it lovingly. They stepped inside and she closed the door behind her. She searched through the room, finding a small but secure safe, which she then unlocked with another passcode, and revealed to Goku a small case with a red cushion looking thing, which held 5 orange, glass-like spheres, all with different numbers on them.

He peered at them in question for a moment as she told him, in her usual animated voice, “That ‘thing’ that you’ve been harboring is a Dragon Ball Radar. These,” she gestured to the items, “are Dragon Balls. There are seven of them in total. I’ve only ever been able to find five.” She smirked proudly and said, “Most records say I found six,” and she shrugged, “I didn’t bother to correct them.”

“Huh,” Goku thought, “A Dragon Ball? But… What is it?”

Her smile widened, “Legend has it that if you can collect all seven, a magic dragon will appear and grant you one wish. When I was younger, I was obsessed with that story, and after finding one, I just had to have them all. But… it was dangerous, and I was carefree back then! But the older I got the more distraught I became in ever finding them all, and the more difficult finding them was, and life seemed to create responsibilities for me that I couldn’t ignore. I gave up my search for them some time ago, but I held onto the ones that I did find, in the hopes that maybe one day I could go out and look for them, again.”

Goku could only look at them with curiosity. He didn’t know if he believed in wish-granting dragons, but the idea of looking for these things seemed like something fun to do in the meantime.

“Go on, turn it on,” she urged, “You’ll see that it’ll indicate these 5 here, and then point you off in the direction of the last two. As you said, a map of sorts. But it would certainly take someone with strength and determination to go and find them. Someone with a lot of time on their hands…”

Goku did as he was told, turning on the machine, and he saw that she was correct, but he already knew that much. He didn’t doubt her. His mind wondered at the possibilities.

She put her hands on her hips and said, “Why don’t you go look for them?”

“Really?” he asked, rubbing the back of his head, “You wouldn’t mind? I mean… I wouldn’t know what to wish for if I found them…”

“Well you better tell me if you do and bring them back here first!” Bulma said smartly, “I honestly don’t know what I’d wish for either! But it would be nice to see something come from all that hard work! And besides,” she calmed down, “It’ll give you something to work out all that pent-up energy you have on, and it’ll make me happy knowing you’re doing something productive for once!”

Goku chuckled, “Am I that obvious?”

Bulma patted him on the shoulder, “Oh, honey, I don’t know what it is I sense going on with you, but yes, something’s definitely going on… Are you and Chi Chi getting along?”

He blushed, “Yes! Yeah, she’s great. I just… I guess I _would_ like an adventure.”

“Great!” she smiled, “But Goku, don’t tell anyone about this, okay? Seriously. Not a soul.”

He nodded, “You got it.”

She sighed, and put the Dragon Balls away, locking them up again, and then she left the room swiftly, with Goku following close after her.

As they walked through the halls Goku could tell that something else was bothering her and he finally asked her outright what was wrong.

She giggled at him and said, in similarity, “Am I that obvious?” to which Goku laughed. She explained, “It’s just… all this business stuff. And Vegeta… well, it seems that he wants me to take it easy.” She tutted and shook her head.

“What do you mean?” he wondered, “You’re not doing anything too difficult; I don’t think. Then again, I don’t really know what it’s like to be a human,” he thought about Chi Chi and how fragile and frail she seems in his arms sometimes, even with all of her strength.

“I don’t think so either!” Bulma snapped, “But he’s so… ugh. I don’t want to think about this, right now. Never mind.”

“Hey! You can tell me…” Goku implored.

She sighed and smiled at him, “It’s nothing, really. He’s just _demanding_ and stubborn. And smart. Hmph!” she ran a hand through her hair, clearly agitated but also seemingly pleased. Finally, she said, “And I’m being just as stubborn, and I know it! If this pregnancy weren’t draining me so much I would never give in to his requests, but I feel like I almost have no choice. I’m so tired all of the time. And so hungry! And to think that I thought I might get lucky and have it easy! These sick-spells are no joke, either, Goku, you have no idea how lucky you are to be a man.”

Goku smiled, but he knew she was right, and as she yawned, he knew he ought to give her some time to herself.

He tucked away the machine in his pocket and walked her to her bedroom, before leaving her be for the evening, willing her to get some rest.

Another month passed, and Vegeta walked through the halls of the castle, full of emotions he didn’t know he was capable of feeling. They were overwhelming- and moreover- overreaching the boundaries that he’d previously placed on his personal cavity of internal capacity for intellectual, mental, spiritual, and otherwise mitigated and limited allotment for such intimate, estranged sensations.

In other words: He can’t believe he’s going to be a father- and furthermore- fuck Kakarot and any mention of the latest news about him.

He took off his scouter and set down the rest of his things beside it, before walking into the Gravity Machine and shutting the door behind him. Vegeta decided that he was going to give this some deep thought for once while he trained, instead of ignoring what he knew could no longer go on overlooked. He went straight into it, stretching for just a few minutes before he kicked up the gravity and began his normal routine of throwing punches and darting out swift kicks.

His mind whirred on unceasingly, and this time, he didn’t stop it.

Apparently, Kakarot’s found himself a woman, and apparently, he’s quite happy living on Earth. He would be, wouldn’t he? He said himself that he loves the Earth.

It’s been nearly a whole year since he’s seen him, and why Vegeta even bothered to think twice about him, he couldn’t say. Does he genuinely miss him? Or is it the constant barraging reminder of him that keeps him from letting go of his memory, even in his absence?

Perhaps it’s the fact that he practically told the man that he loved him, and _he_ said those words _exactly_ , yet _he’s_ been able to move on so easily… Is that what’s bothering him?

Raditz and Bardock have been so thrilled about his new relationship that they can’t stop talking about him, and Tarble has brought him up numerous times, even noting how well he looks through the pictures he’s seen, speaking of him in casual conversation as though the two of them were once buddies.

Hearing about the other man is nearly unbearable. His subjects and his kin are supposed to be on _his_ side, he’s their _Prince_ , but, then again, he’d never actually confessed to having feelings for Kakarot to anyone _but_ Kakarot, so why should they _not_ be happy for him? Why should there even be sides to begin with? Aren’t they simply happy for them both? Is he not _happy,_ himself?

His single man’s spar intensified as he thought back on every moment someone brought him up. Yes, he kept his cool and grunted off their comments as though he wasn’t really listening, but the knowledge of his content existence was still gnawing at him. He felt strange, letting his ex-lover’s happiness lurch on his own, and the uncontrollable sensation of discontent kept coming from somewhere inside he couldn’t quite place.

Hell, even his father had the nerve to say, in front of him, and on purpose he was sure, that he was happy for Bardock that his youngest son was settling down with some earth woman, after _he’d_ been the one to so acutely separate him from his own son. Then again, his father is joyous that _he’s_ settled down, too, and much more so now that the he is finally going to be a father, as well.

To all of them all is right in the world(s), but to Vegeta, something is amiss.

They were all acting strange. Throwing this in his face! Or, maybe it’s just in his head. It’s definitely just in his head.

He powered up, threw the controls into a higher gear, and continued to push his training even further.

He doesn’t care. He keeps telling himself that.

A small part of him knows that Tarble was simply trying to get a rise out him by bringing up the insufferably _perfect_ man’s name, but he wasn’t going to allow it. What difference would it make in telling Tarble that he doesn’t want to hear anything more about him? Except for the fact that it’s not exactly true, it would be only a low blow to his pride, delivered from his own mouth.

He also knew that Raditz presumed, the same as everyone else, that Vegeta wouldn’t (shouldn’t?) care either way about Kakarot’s love-life or wellbeing, and so anytime he mentions his _dearest little brother_ , Vegeta has to remind himself that he’s not trying to rub anything in his face.

He also figured that Bardock, although probably much more aware that there was something deeper between them than anyone else, because of how close he and Kakarot were, wouldn’t go out of his way to make Vegeta squirm over this new development. Would he? Did Kakarot tell him everything between them? Or is he making up the sentimental looks the man shoots his way whenever he seems to _somehow_ **_know_** that Vegeta’s silently screaming at them all to _Just Stop Talking About_ _Him_. No, it can’t be, it must just be in his mind.

If anything, it’s his own father that may be bringing it up to spite him, his smug smirk silently insisting that he was right all along, and that the two of them really just needed to be separated to realize that it was nothing to begin with. At the same time, though, he’s never earned such affectionate pride from the King as he has ever since he said _“I do”_ and learned that he can, in fact, reproduce.

Then why the hell is it bothering him so much that Kakarot has moved on?

 _‘ **I’m** the one who got married first! **I’m** the one with a child on the way! I’m the one who turned him down… Didn’t I? _Did I? _Damn it all, what does it matter? It doesn’t. It **doesn’t**._

_‘If Kakarot wants to move on, good. If he wants to start a new relationship with someone, fine! But damn it, if they don’t stop talking about him and how happy he is, like he’s some kind of perfect picture of youth and prosperity, then I’m going to **snap**. Maybe this is how I’ll finally reach Super Saiyan! _

_‘But why?! Why is it bothering me so much?!_

_‘Is it because I just can’t imagine Kakarot with anyone else? Is it because I don’t want to? Is it because I haven’t moved on? Wait… No! I’m **not** in love with him! People in love can’t marry someone else and get them pregnant, while the one they truly want is out there, finding love with another. No. That’s not the right way to put it. No! It has to be more selfish than that. _I’m _more selfish than that- I’ve purposefully devised myself in such a way that_ nothing _can come in between me and myself! Haven’t I?_

_‘What did I ever want from Kakarot in the first place? A lover? A friend?! A relationship beyond both of those things?_

_‘Maybe I just need to hash this out. Maybe I just need to see him one more time for myself, and then I can decide just how deep our connection really is. Was._

_‘Maybe I just need to let out all this stress. On him.’_

He kept training relentlessly.

They never actually tested their strength on one another, did they? Not really, not without fancy rules and an arena with people watching. Not with fists, and not without the outcome being pleasurable satisfaction that he’s never felt with anyone else. Not a concrete, one on one, man against man, power against power brawl.

As much as he delighted in the idea of going rounds with him, especially when he watched him training or fighting with someone else, he never thought about actually trying to gauge him for himself. Kakarot… A man who clearly has the same thirst for battle in his heart as he does… and man who would fight just for the thrill of it… who would stand up, even to his Prince, just to see where his strength measures up… He always placed him so far beneath him that he never considered an actual battle between them before.

Perhaps that’s what he’ll do, the next time he sees him, because there _will_ be a next time. Maybe then he can rid himself of this obsession. They can duke it out, let loose on one another, he will win, and then he can be rid of all of these silly emotions and ridiculous frustrations.

Of course, it doesn’t help that he’s about to be a father. He doesn’t know how to be a dad. He doesn’t know how to be a son. Or a brother. Or a friend. Not really. He knows he’s an asshole. He knows he’s uncaring and mean, short-tempered and distant. He doesn’t even know how to be a husband, yet somehow, he’s become all of those things to people he hardly takes the time to get to know, while he’s trying to find himself.

He knows how to be a warrior, but anything beyond that is beyond him.

There’s just too much happening so fast, and he’s too far away from what’s going on to really catch the subtleties in all of this, much less latch onto the deeper meaning of these things. Training is the only constant in his life, and even that’s not getting him where he wants to be fast enough.

He feels the gravity weighing down on him, in so many ways.

He felt like he was ahead at one point in time. On top of everything in his life. In control. But now it’s almost as though the decisions that he’s made have left him behind, in the dust, watching his life unfold from the sidelines, unable to do anything about it. Unable to participate, much less understand where to go from here.

Get stronger. Get married. Have children. Become King. Get _stronger_.

And then what?

Then what, damn it?!

Even the personal plans he had for himself have failed. The few that he had made.

He’s still not a super Saiyan and he’s still left in longing for something he can’t quite place.

Aside from that, he’d been unable, in his most recent and prior attempts, to find the dragon ball radar that he had practically forced Bulma into telling him about the first time they met. He honestly didn’t know what he’d wish for if he found such a thing. Immortality, maybe? Ultimate power? Something along those lines. Perhaps he wouldn’t use them at all, and he’d just hold onto them for leverage and security.

Bulma had been reluctant to discuss it the first time they’d met, but the last time he was there, when he went looking for the machine that she’d shown him one time before, he couldn’t find it. He should have taken it when she showed it to him and secured it for himself, but now he didn’t want to bring it up again, less she or anyone else become suspicious of him.

He didn’t push it, and he wasn’t concerned, really. He had plenty of time, after all. The Earth is now his. Besides, he didn’t want to alarm her in any way. He doesn’t have bad intentions. He just found the very idea of such items existing fascinating, and if they do, which she insists is true, then why not look into finding them for himself?

At least then he can have something _else_ to think about.

Bulma’s troubling pregnancy wasn’t helping his distraught manner. Who knows if the two beings can actually copulate successfully? He only hoped the birth of his son wouldn’t kill her. He insisted that she take it easy, and she took it for him being chauvinistic, an idea that took him a little while to grasp, but once he did he was disgusted with the very idea that she would think such a thing. Saiyan males don’t view their females as lesser creatures. The thought seemed base, infantile, and perpetually absurd. Besides, what does he care what she does with her day to day?! He cares for her life not her mental state! Damn Earthlings and their primitive ways.

Vegeta’s training went on tirelessly for hours, until finally he stopped, unable to get any more answers than he had when he began, and unable to push himself any further for the time being.

He turned off the machine and exited it, surprised to find several of his guards waiting for him outside. He looked at them briefly, before going to pick up his things, merely acknowledging their presence with a short grunt.

One of them said, as they all bowed, “Your Highness, forgive us for interrupting, but Dr. Buro has been trying to contact you for the past hour.”

“Oh?” Vegeta said, eagerly, “Very good. I’ll be contacting him shortly.”

The man bowed again but said nothing else. The other guards were asking him if he needed anything, he told them no bluntly, and then headed for the showers as they left silently.

Once he was cleaned up, he called Dr. Buro.

“Ah, your Highness!” the doctors voice seemed to smile, “I have some good news! Dr. Gero has contacted me, yes, and we’ve gone over several new properties of machinery that I believe just might do the trick. Ah, have you heard from Bardock, my Lord?”

“No, I haven’t.” _‘Because I’ve been avoiding speaking to him.’_

Another few months went by, Prince Tarble arrived during this time, and Goku successfully avoided speaking to him all but once. Tarble seemed rather pleased to see him, though, and intent on gathering information about him. He kept asking him all about his new lover, Chi Chi, whom he’d heard about from Raditz, and he inquired about his well-being on Earth, and commented that he looks stronger than ever, but he strictly avoided the topic of Vegeta altogether.

Goku was grateful for it, because although Tarble may not look much like his brother, they have a similarity between them in the way that they talk, and move, and the way that they smell, and it was enough to bring back memories Goku thought he had rid himself of by now. It was good to see him, but one conversation was plenty. Tarble was busy, though, and didn’t seem to mind his absence, besides, the other guards, as well as his own, catered to him perfectly well, and so Goku was able to sneak away anytime he wished.

He had already found one of the dragon balls and brought it back to Bulma in private. She was thrilled.

Going out at his leisure didn’t stop Goku from learning about what was going on at Capsule Corp. when he came back, though, and he finally found out what Bulma had been so flustered about the night she told him about the radar. Apparently, Prince Vegeta was insisting that she enlist another doctor onto her team, a man that she didn’t want to have anything to do with, and a man that Goku actually knew: Dr. Gero. He just so happened to catch wind of her complaining about the situation, as she discussed it with Tarble. Eventually she conceded, because of the difficulty of her pregnancy, and the urgency in figuring out the updates necessary to make travel between the planets quicker.

Prince Tarble agreed that it would be for the best to add on another scientist to their list of confidants, and assured her that Dr. Buro was working on a way to bring Earthlings safely to Planet Vegeta, although that was, of course, out of the question for her anytime soon. He gave her some much-needed time to rest as he took on many of the duties that she would have been attending to during his stay.

Bulma really came to enjoy having Tarble around. She respected him very much, and their minds seemed to work very similarly, plus, she didn’t have to worry about people constantly watching them. Tarble put her mind at ease in many ways, and she felt safe having him here for some of her pregnancy, though she really just wanted to see Vegeta, and she really just wanted some normalcy above everything else. Still, he was, like his brother, perfectly capable, and extremely helpful when it came to running her business and taking care of things.

She couldn’t argue even if she’d wanted to, and while it seemed that things in her life were quickly spiraling out of control, she kept calm and tough. She was in no position to be doing anything other than what daily things she could manage as it was.

Unfortunately, in her eyes, Dr. Gero now had all of her research, and he was going to be working on his own additions to their projects from the safety and security of his own labs. She had no way of regulating or monitoring what the man could be doing, but she hoped that he wouldn’t try to take all the credit for the discovery of the necessary schematics, and she hoped her lawyers did a spotless job of their contract if he planned on trying anything funny. The last thing she needed was a business deal gone wrong right now.

The women wondered who this doctor was, and how the Princes came to learn about him, and although they questioned if his help was really necessary, for Bulma’s safety and peace of mind’s sake, they figured that Prince Vegeta and Prince Tarble wouldn’t have brought him aboard if he couldn’t be trusted.

Tarble eventually left, being able to stay no longer, much to the dismay of everyone. They all adored him so.

Things started to calm down again as the months passed. Goku brought Chi Chi to meet everyone at Capsule Corp. and they instantly loved her. She was kind, and strong-willed, smart, but not conceited, and beautiful. Even Bulma, who was usually too busy to pay any mind to such a thing, went out of her way to meet the young lady. They hit it off well and Goku was pleased. He didn’t know why he wanted her approval, and he hadn’t realized he’d been trying to get it, but still, it meant something to him.

A few weeks later Bulma had Vegeta’s child, which they named Trunks, and everyone at Capsule Corp., on Earth, and on Planet Vegeta was head over heels with elation. She was in recovery for some time after the birth, but she would pull through just fine, and the baby was happy and healthy.

Unfortunately, Vegeta couldn’t come for the birth of his son. Things on Planet Vegeta have been mayhem, what with his father expediting plans to push his son into Kingship, and with everyone celebrating the newest member of the Vegeta family, but he was planning to visit as soon as he could. He was just biding his time for now; he was tired of wasting so much of it in cryo-sleep, and secretly terrified of stepping up and into accountability.

Besides, Dr. Buro had already told him that a breakthrough has been made. He’s sending one of his pods to Earth this very moment, hoping for the best.

For now, though, Vegeta was planning on continuing to train, and keeping constant tabs on his family in the meantime, until he could go and see them for himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know what else to say besides Supersonic89, yep, you guessed it :D Also, did I mention this story is driving me crazy?


	23. 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I've been updating really fast but I just can't help it. I hope you enjoy this fun-filled chapter!

Chapter 23

“Have you heard?” several of the women asked Goku as he returned from yet another trip to Fire Mountain.

“What is it?” Goku wondered sweetly, barely one foot in the door as the women bombarded him.

“Listen to the message!”

“It’s on your scouter!”

“They’re going to have a coronation for Prince Vegeta!”

“He’s going to be King!”

“Bulma will be Queen!”

“She’s all in a fuss, so don’t bring it up to her.”

“I would be, too! I’m surprised Prince Vegeta hasn’t come to see Prince Trunks, yet!”

“Nonsense, he’s busy!”

“The child is four months old! Going on five!”

“I’m sure he’s working on it!”

Goku let them prattle on, but he ran off at the news to listen to the message himself. He’s been leaving his scouter in his room recently, so it took him a second to find it and hear what it really had to say.

They weren’t kidding. The King was planning on holding a huge celebration, he would be stepping down and Prince Vegeta will be crowned King. He wanted everyone invited that he could think of to come, and that included every member of the guard. There would be one party on Planet Vegeta, and then another on Earth. It wouldn’t be for another year and a half, though. Why the announcement was made now, Goku couldn’t understand, but he sighed deeply to himself as he thought more on it.

He smiled to himself though, as he looked down at his hand and saw the ring that he and Chi Chi had just purchased for him. Of course, he got one for her as well, when he proposed just a few days ago. He decided that he would tell everyone tonight about their engagement when Chi Chi came over, and he figured that it would only give them more to celebrate.

“Your Highness, thank you for meeting me, I know you’re a busy man,” Dr. Buro bowed to Prince Vegeta before he settled into his chair at the restaurant.

“Of course,” was Vegeta’s short reply. He’s been shorter with everyone than usual, and a little more on edge.

“Ah, how’s the training going? Any progress with the Gravity Machine?”

Vegeta smirked, “Yes, Geredi. It’s the best invention you’ve had. Yet.”

Geredi chuckled, “Ahh, but it wasn’t my invention, now was it?”

Vegeta shifted a little in his chair and commented, “Take a little credit, Doctor, the Earthlings wouldn’t have been able to make the adjustments you did.”

“Fair enough,” Geredi grinned, nodding. As their drinks were being brought to them, Geredi looked at Vegeta a little oddly, and asked, “Did you order already? Am I late?” and the waiter left again.

“Only champagne and a few appetizers, I thought you wouldn’t mind,” Vegeta replied, tilting his head casually. He was clearly eager to move on, though, as evidenced by his next question, and he asked, “You said you have good news?”

Geredi nodded, “I do, yes! I’ve been sending pods back and forth with Dr. Gero for some time now, and it seems that we have successfully hit our mark. Just last week, in fact, we sent one of my braver men in one of the revised pods. Hmm, he arrived on Earth just this afternoon.”

Vegeta smirked, “A week! That’s all! That’s much better!”

Geredi raised his glass, which Vegeta followed suit to, seemingly pleased, and the Doctor said, “And now that we know that the journey is safe, we can start mass production. Hmm, well, small batch, mass production.”

The Prince’s eyes pierced into Dr. Buro’s as he took a sip, and he waited for the servers to finish dropping off their appetizers before speaking his mind. Finally, he said, “When can I leave in one?”

With a gentle turn of his lips, Dr. Buro answered, “Have you been waiting for this news, hmm?”

“I’m tired of wasting so much of my life in space,” was all Vegeta replied and his attitude changed marginally.

The doctor nodded again, taking a drink of his own, before he told him, “I’ve been discussing it with Dr. Gero, yes, and he has informed me that he is sending several pods over later this week, and it’s Thursday there, which means they should be here in anywhere from, hmm, 8 to 12 days. It should be enough for you and a few of your men, I’m guessing. Ahh, and he mentioned that there will be gifts in them. Something else to aid you in your training, I believe.”

“How thoughtful,” Vegeta replied, but he didn’t care about that information, and he suddenly took a deep, quick breath and asked, “Do you not have a few back at your labs, Dr. Buro?”

Geredi grinned, “I do.”

“Then I don’t care what Dr. Gero wishes to send me. I’d like to leave at _my_ earliest convenience, not his,” he answered matter-of-factly. “How many of the pods can be ready in a few days?”

The doctor thought on it for a moment before he answered, “Five, I believe. Yes.”

“Good,” Vegeta smirked, quirking a brow, and leaning back in his chair, he said confidently, “I’ll let my men know.”

Dr. Buro could only chuckle at him and he answered, “I’m sure the Princess will be thrilled.”

Vegeta snickered, “I don’t even plan on telling her. I’d rather it be a surprise.”

Dr. Buro laughed, “The Earthlings certainly are something else, aren’t they? Hmm, if they had the power the Saiyan race possesses, surely, they could do great things.”

“Perhaps one day they will, Geredi. One of them already does.”

Geredi wanted to say more about the Earth, but Vegeta’s face warned him that he probably shouldn’t.

In fact, Geredi wanted to say a lot of things to the Prince, but Vegeta looked so pensive, aggressively so, even, that he bit his tongue.

Why the Prince lied about trying to get a hold of Bardock he would never know. He asked Bardock himself if he’d spoken to the Prince and Bardock seemed confused at why Prince Vegeta _would_ try to speak with him, denying that he’d ever mentioned wanting his help on their project.

Why the Prince waited so long to go and visit the Earth and hounded him instead of going and speaking to Dr. Gero himself, he was unsure. Unless, of course, he was nervous to meet his child, and see his wife, of whom he barely knew and has caused nothing but stress.

Why the Prince looked so serious about the topic of his son _at all_ , he couldn’t quite understand. Is it possible that he felt unfit to be a father, or that he felt as though he is already failing as a father because he isn’t there and is unable to be there all of the time?

Or is there something else on his mind that he isn’t telling anyone? Geredi certainly knew better than to bring up Goku, although he wanted to, just to see what the Prince might say, but Vegeta’s face was so stern for such a happy moment, and the Doctor wasn’t sure he’d still be in his good graces if he said anything out of line at the moment.

Geredi didn’t know the answers to any of those questions, but he let it be and instead told him congratulations again and eased to conversation into simpler topics as best as he could. Vegeta wasn’t all that talkative tonight, and they cut their meeting short, having just the one bottle of champagne and the few appetizers that Vegeta had ordered, for Geredi feared lingering too long unwanted in his presence while he was clearly in a strange mood.

Once Geredi got back to his labs he looked over his inventory and triple checked the equipment. He had to be sure that the Prince and his men would be safe in their travels, and with the machinery being so new, it made him a little nervous.

He wasn’t sure why, but he had a strange feeling about Prince Vegeta’s insistence on leaving so soon, but he couldn’t say where the feeling was coming from. Something just doesn’t seem right.

A week later Goku was out looking for the last dragon ball when he decided he needed to take a break. The thing was no where in sight, even though the radar was telling him that he was close, and Goku was far too wrapped up in other thoughts to focus entirely on the task at hand.

His life was changing so fast, he wasn’t sure what to do with himself and although he was happy enough, he was approaching unknown territory and he didn’t really have anyone to discuss it with.

Sure the women of the guard were helpful, but really they just kept telling him that no one knows what they’re doing in life and that you have to just figure it out as you go, but that wasn’t the type of advice he was really looking for. Chi Chi was already talking about having kids and they aren’t even married yet, meanwhile Goku knows he has plenty of money put aside, but something’s going to have to change for them to really be together, isn’t it?

How could he possibly continue to work for the Royal House as a bodyguard and raise a family at the same time? Was he really planning on staying on Earth permanently or would be able to go back home every once in a while? Would he live in his own house with Chi Chi in the Fire Mountain, Mountain range? Or would he live with her and her father? He’d really rather have their own place and he’s already thought about buying one from Bulma, but he hadn’t exactly gotten around to discussing those details with anyone yet.

Chi Chi’s been hinting that she’d like for him to be around more, and her father’s been mentioning it as well, but Goku has already been basically skirting out on his duties back at Capsule Corp. as it is. In fact, he was fairly sure he was getting paid way too much to do practically nothing, because he hasn’t really been there. Much less, he wasn’t spending any time caring for the Princess or even regulating the other guards, but they took care of themselves and her perfectly well! The more he thought about it, any one of them could report him and he was almost certain he would be extradited back home and fired for not performing his duties.

Why haven’t they reported him? Perhaps he should go ahead and quit before they find a good excuse to let him go, as though they don’t have plenty, already, but then how would be go about visiting his home planet? How much does it cost to travel like that if he paid for it himself? Why did he never ask these questions before?

He’s been on Earth for over a year, now, and here he is, thirty-one years old, engaged, well off monetarily, making plans to purchase a home and have a child, considering a change in careers, and yet, in spite of all of that responsibility, he somehow still found himself out in the middle of nowhere on some wild hunt looking for some mystical relic that’s supposed to perform some insane magic, and he wasn’t sure which of the two extremes even made him happy anymore.

Chi Chi had said that they could make a decent living if he went into farming, and be self-sustained, and that although her father is rich, and she will eventually inherit that fortune, their family believes in working for a living, and she figured that the manual labor would be no problem for someone as strong as him. Goku didn’t _dis_ agree, and he wasn’t against work, but he couldn’t help wondering when he would have time to himself if he ended up quitting the Royal Guard, after all. He wanted to have his cake and eat it to, as the saying goes, but he never understood that saying and he wondered if he was using it right- he always eats cake when he has it.

Besides, in only a few more months’ time, he’ll have the chance to go back home by right of his duties, and he was really looking forward to seeing his family again, and his friends, and his home planet, and possibly Vegeta, _hopefully_ Vegeta, and no amount of responsibility on Earth was going to keep him from taking that opportunity.

He certainly has a lot to think about.

He hummed to himself as he realized that he still hasn’t told his family the good news. He didn’t know what he was waiting for, but he figured now would be as good of a time as any and so he sent a picture that he had taken with Chi Chi of the two of them showing off their ringed left hand, and sent it to his brother first, to gauge his reaction. He knew he’d be getting a text within the next few hours, if not a phone call, and he laughed to himself in anticipation.

He waited it out for a little bit and then decided that it would probably be best to give up looking for the dragon ball for now and head back to Capsule Corp. to see how everything is going.

Nearly another week has gone by and Goku has been out training and spending time with Chi Chi, among other things. He finally captured the last dragon ball, but he’s been holding onto it. It’s the four-star ball, and for some reason he really likes it, so he left it in his room for now, along with the radar. He didn’t have a wish, but he figured he’d let Bulma use it for herself, and give it to her as a gift, when the time was right.

He sighed as he snuck away for a bit after training and talking to Chi Chi, and as he was lazing away in the waters of a lake nearby, he realized that he never got a response from his brother. At first he had forgotten about the unanswered text, which was fairly easy to do with so much fuss going on back at Capsule Corp. between the baby and the women, and with his attentions being wrapped around Chi Chi and the dragon ball hunt, but when it finally dawned on him that Raditz never replied he got an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

He didn’t think that Raditz was ignoring him. In fact, he was pretty sure that wasn’t the case at all, so he hopped out of the lake, picked up his phone and tried calling, but the connection wouldn’t go through. He thought about that for another minute before he decided to try and see if he could get through on his scouter, and so he headed back to Capsule Corp. and went straight to his room. He got out his scouter, put it on and tried with it, but he didn’t get a response.

His nerves were on high alert at that, but he remained calm. He left the scouter on and was heading through the house to find Felia and see if she’s noticed anything strange going on, using his scouter to guide him to the nearest location of some of the other guard. He spotted two lower power levels and he headed that direction, clicking his scouter back off, thinking maybe that turning it off and on might help with a muddied transmission. He kept thinking to himself that perhaps it was just his phone service acting funny, and that Raditz is busy and hadn’t gotten the message on the scouter yet. He hoped it was nothing he should be concerned over, but as he came across the two women of the guard his scouter had picked up, they immediately startled at seeing him. It seemed they were on lookout, Bulma must be in the room they were sheltering. It was one of her nurseries, and she slept in there quite often.

“Goku!” one of them cried, “Are you looking for Princess Bulma?!”

“Actually, I was-”

The other one cut him off, “She’s taking a nap right now! Don’t disturb her!”

Goku huffed, “Well, where’s Felia, I-”

The other stuttered, “W-Why don’t you go and see Chi Chi for a while, hmm?”

Goku frowned and shook his head, ignoring the two of them, “I’m just looking for Felia,” he grumbled, and he clicked his scouter back on, hoping to have received a response, and trying to search broader through the house. He saw that there was no reply to his request for Raditz, and that’s when he noticed it; the larger power level than anyone else’s. Right behind the door they were guarding. His heart clenched.

“Goku?” One of them was asking tentatively, no doubt noticing the look the crossed through his eyes.

“Huh?” he asked, his mind in a whirl.

Just then the door opened to reveal him, and he held the door open for Bulma as she was carrying their child.

When Vegeta looked up from watching her and his son, they immediately locked eyes, and Goku felt his blood pumping, but nothing else was registering except for Vegeta’s finely featured face, and his dark eyes staring into his.

“Goku!” Bulma said cheerily.

“Kakarot…” Vegeta muttered at the same time as his wife, but his face was again, void of emotion other than what Goku could only describe as intrigue.

Bulma was smiling broadly as she said, “Vegeta just got here a few hours ago! I was wondering when you’d stop by! It’s been some time since you two have seen each other, hasn’t it?” She turned to Vegeta, “Goku was wondering about you from the last time you were here.”

“Your Highness,” Goku squeaked out as he bowed low, hiding his face as he tried to regulate his heartbeat. When Goku came back up to look at them he was sure his face was flushed, and he tried his best not to stare at him, but Bulma didn’t notice anything was off. The other guards, however, were watching them closely.

Bulma said, going on and on, “Today is flying by! I have to go feed Trunks, and I was just going to tell the cooks to prepare a feast! Why don’t you two catch up?” she looked at her husband, still smiling, and Goku noticed Vegeta’s stiffen a fraction, while she added, looking at the other guards, “Won’t you come with me, Diara, Serenity? And let the rest of the guard know to meet us in the dining room?!” she patted her husband’s chest, and said, “It shouldn’t take more than an hour for the food to be ready, I think.”

Vegeta only nodded at her, before his eyes went back to Goku’s.

“Y-yes, your Highness,” Diara nodded, and the two guards followed her as she walked briskly through the hall, leaving Goku and Vegeta alone.

Goku’s eyes hadn’t left the Prince’s since he first saw him, and he noted the subtle changes in the man that nearly two years had done. He looks incredible. Why does he have to look so good?

“Your Highness,” Goku whispered this time, and he fought back the urge to lick his lips as his mouth went dry from his gentle but shallow breathing. Why did they have to leave them alone like this? He had always thought that the next time the two of them met they would be surrounded by prying eyes, ensuring that neither of them did anything stupid.

“Kakarot…” Vegeta said again, raising his chin confidently, but his lips were parted as he, too, was looking Goku over, no doubt thinking many, many things.

“You’re looking well, Prince Vegeta,” Goku finally managed to move the conversation along. He meant to say it out of respect and curtesy, but he wasn’t so sure that was the impression he was giving. He wasn’t so sure what he was even thinking at the moment. He knew he wasn’t thinking clearly though. Emotions that he had hoped were long gone were boiling over, far past resurfacing; they were raging inside of him, oozing out of his every pore, bleeding through his every thought.

Vegeta looked him up and down and remarked, “As are you…” Silence overran them until finally Vegeta said, smirking, “So, you’ve been asking about me?” Goku couldn’t help his silence, anything he said could jeopardize him, but Vegeta seemed to expect it, and his smirk widened, while he offered, “Would you like to… talk?” and he gestured to the room that he was still holding the door open for, and his eyes flicked from the ground back to Goku’s the same way Goku’s heart was flicking around in his chest.

“Sure,” Goku mumbled and he went inside.

Vegeta closed the door behind them and locked it. When Goku heard the click of the door being locked, something inside of him snapped, and he turned around and pressed Vegeta up against it, kissing him heatedly. Vegeta smirked into the kiss, returning his passion tenfold, his hands finding Goku’s face, and his tail immediately unwrapping from around his waist to wrap around Goku’s instead, while his hips pressed against Goku’s with intoxicating desire. Goku’s tail latched onto his thigh and their make out session turned into a battle for dominance neither of them fully understood.

Goku asked, pressing his body forcefully into Vegeta’s, “When did you get here?” He didn’t think it mattered and didn’t know why he was asking.

Vegeta pushed him further into the room, and answered quietly, “Just this morning,” in between nips. A million thoughts ran through both of their minds, but neither of them allowed anything to stop this from happening, as much as they both knew this was not what they should be doing. It still felt so right.

“Where are your guards?” Goku asked, his mind barely registering that they might get caught as his mouth refused to part from Vegeta’s for long.

“With the others,” Vegeta answered simply, clearly just as engulfed with him.

They broke the kiss to remove their shirts, their pants, and their shoes, as well as Goku’s scouter, and Vegeta said, watching the other undress, “I told myself I wasn’t going to do this, but damn it, Kakarot…”

“I know,” Goku half smiled, understanding the feeling, and he kicked off the last of his clothes, and grabbed Vegeta by the waist, kissing him roughly, before replying, in between breathes, “A lot has changed you know… and I’m resigning from the Guard.”

“Oh?!” Vegeta said as they fumbled through the room, and he tried to hide his heady moans as Goku’s teeth scraped down his neck.

“And I’m getting married,” Goku said resolutely as he pushed the Prince down into the bed, following his body closely with his own.

“Congratulations,” Vegeta whispered, glaring at him, but his tail ran down Goku’s thigh and then back up it, causing Goku to buck into him involuntarily.

Goku’s lips found Vegeta’s again as he pressed his body into the sheets, and then he added, growling out the words, “I can’t believe you’re right here, doing this to me, _again_.”

Vegeta argued, “Doing this _to_ you? You mean _with_ you,” and he flipped their position, spreading Goku’s legs to accommodate him, and Goku couldn’t argue that fact. He could tell he’s gotten stronger since he’s last seen him, and he has filled out more than ever. Vegeta added, heatedly, “I can’t believe you _ignored_ me the last time I was here. We could have done this sooner,” as he pulled on Goku’s hard, leaking cock.

“I did _not_ ignore you,” Goku whined, his tail snapping in agitation, but it was fluffed out from arousal.

Vegeta smirked at the reaction, and latched into his neck, humming into it, while gathering their dicks together in his hand as he played with Goku’s body with his free hand. He used his tail to force Goku’s legs open wider before he leaned away for just a second, grabbing something from the counter nearby.

“Vegeta,” Goku sat up, watching him cover himself with some makeshift lubricant, “M-maybe we-”

“No,” Vegeta grunted, pressing his slicked fingers against his entrance as he shifted above him, and he placed the fingertips of his other hand gently against his mouth, as he said, “Don’t you dare say that…”

Goku tried his best to hold back a moan as Vegeta’s fingers pressed inside of him. Vegeta continued to prepare him as quickly as he could, leaning over him, and he whispered, “That day I confessed to have feelings for you… I still remember what you said to me…”

“Uhn,” Goku grit his teeth, trying not to cry out. He huffed quietly, “I said a lot of things that day.” _‘And I meant what I said about falling in love with you. Oh_ fuck _.’_

Vegeta pulled his fingers out and pressed the tip of his dick against him in a flash, and as he pushed forward, he whispered, “I should… ahh… I should have never walked away that day. We never finish any of our conversations, do we…?”

“Vegeta!” Goku yelped, but Vegeta’s mouth swallowed up the last of his name being cried. Goku panted, fighting for breath, and he murmured, “Hhh-how could we…? We just keep doing _this_ …”

Vegeta countered gutturally, as he began a wretchedly perfect pace with precise thrusts, “You were right. She could never be enough.”

“That night, ah, at Raditz’ wedding,” Goku replied, in between being pounded and Vegeta’s fierce attempts at swelling his lips from sucking on them so roughly, “I thought we were going to be together… I was, ah! I was going to… do anything…mm for you…”

Vegeta told him sensually, “Yes,” raking his hands up his waist and into his ribs, “I would do anything… for you…”

Goku moaned as Vegeta kept pressing into him, “And before… uhhhm, before you left… I thought that… ah! I… I’m…”

“I know…” Vegeta groaned, licking his neck, “I’m sorry… Kakarot…”

Goku whined as he got closer and muttered, “I missed you…”

“I missed you, too…” Vegeta agreed, finding his lips again, and rolling his hips, pressing deeper inside of him.

Suddenly Goku jolted and came in between them, to which Vegeta replied in kind, unable to help himself as Goku’s body locked up around him.

“Fuck,” Vegeta grunted, catching his breath, and pulling away. They were soaked between the two of them, and Goku sat up, looking at the evidence of their reckless actions, before his eyes met Vegeta’s smoldering ones. They kissed gingerly for just a moment before they both rushed to get off of the bed and head to the shower.

They rinsed off in silence, but they were smirking at one another, feeling many things. They toweled off quietly, flared their ki to shed their body and their hair of any wetness, and then got dressed as quickly as possible, all the while exchanging glances as a bountiful amount of unfinished thoughts ran through their minds.

Vegeta straightened out the sheets and then unlocked the door, Goku right behind him, but before he could open it, Goku put his hand on it, cornering him, and he whispered, “Wait. What is this? What was that…? I need answers. We can’t do this forever.”

Vegeta turned to him and nodded, the stress on his face a stark contrast to what Goku had just seen in his eyes a few minutes ago. Goku didn’t like seeing him look so uncomfortable, he wanted to just _hug_ him and just _talk_ for once.

It took a long time for Vegeta to reply. He looked away for a minute, before turning to face him, and then finally, the Prince said, almost reluctantly, “Yes, Kakarot. We can’t do this forever. You’re getting married. I _am_ married,” he shook his head, and whispered, “I guess… That was the last time,” and he lifted his face again to look him in the eyes, going from one to the other, and then back again. Goku wondered for the millionth time what he was thinking, and he wanted to kiss him again, and he wanted to argue some more about it, and he wanted to- but he came back to himself, pulled his hand slowly away from the door, swallowed the lump in his throat at the answer that he’d received, and nodded in reply.

They headed to see the others as quickly and discretely as possible.

Goku told him, in an afterthought of his racing mind as they traversed the halls, “Give me your phone number…”

“Hm?” Vegeta wondered, and he seemed just as out of it, “What for?”

“Just do it,” Goku smiled, nudging him gently.

Vegeta, so unused to people talking to him like that, or touching him like that, at first glared, but he smirked after a moment and did as the man had requested.

Goku tried to call him immediately and it went through, and he frowned. He turned on his scouter. Nothing.

“What are you doing?” Vegeta hissed quietly as he rejected the call. His phone was on vibrate as it is so no one would have noticed, but they were approaching the dining room rather quickly.

“I texted Raditz over a week ago and he never replied,” Goku explained, “I thought maybe it was my phone. I sent him a transmission on my scouter a little while ago, too, and he hasn’t responded.”

“I’m sure he’s just busy,” Vegeta remarked sensibly as they came to the door of the dining room. “Now!” he whispered, poking his finger into Goku’s chest, “You wait for a minute or two before entering!”

Goku rolled his eyes but nodded and stood back, picking up his phone again and typing something out, sending it to Vegeta.

Vegeta’s phone vibrated as he walked through the door, and he ignored it as he allowed the guards to greet him customarily. He went straight up to Bulma and Trunks and sat beside her and listened as she prattled on about how happy she is to have him here, and how the food is just about ready.

He smirked at her, and when it was convenient, he looked at his phone and read the message from the unsaved number that said, “The Princess’ Guard will suspect something, just so you know. And we’re not done talking.”

Vegeta thought on that for a moment, but he didn’t even bother looking up at any of the guard, including his own, who were probably just as suspicious. He replied through text, “So what. And you’re right. We have a lot of unfinished business. In fact, I have something else in mind for us to do. Later.” Then he simply looked back at his wife and his son and focused on them. Even when Goku came into the room a few minutes later, he hardly acknowledged him.

Bulma was happy that Goku was there and she immediately started talking to him, in as good of a mood as he’s ever seen her. The women of the guard seemed a little uneasy, though, and they watched him and Vegeta closely, but the men of Vegeta’s guard that came with the Prince greeted Goku warmly and it put the sense of possibly being caught away for the moment. Goku was happy that Bulma was clearly unaware of anything, and surprised that the men of Vegeta’s guard were so keen on speaking to him, although he didn’t know them very well, he was still happy for the familiarity and they struck up conversation with ease.

At first, everyone was on high alert with the future King around, but Vegeta was in a great mood, and Bulma’s comfortably ostentatious attitude towards him caused everything to simmer down. The Prince’s guard was impressed with her, and they saw this as a little taste of what it will be like when they rule, and they were enjoying getting to know the new family very much.

They all began to warm up to one another, even with the Prince’s presence, and conversation turned from political correctness to casual very quickly as they all discussed going back to Planet Vegeta and the party that’s under way. It didn’t take long for them to begin talking about their loved ones, and some of the women even mentioned Chi Chi a number of times. Vegeta casually said that he’s heard of the woman from Raditz, and requested that he meet her, to which Goku could only smile and agree proudly, and the guard seemed pleased with that and eased up even more.

Food was an excellent distraction, as well.

Goku watched as Vegeta held Trunks, and he smiled at the look on his face, and the awkwardness with which he held the young Prince in his arms, and he grinned at the family, and the hopefulness that he held for their happiness, and he thought about Chi Chi, and about moving on, and about what he’d just done.

He wondered why his heart felt at such ease, just from having Prince Vegeta around, but in the back of his mind he was a little distraught and confused. If simply seeing Vegeta again can put him in such a good mood, regardless of their circumstances, then how can being apart from him make any sense?

He loves Chi Chi, but he’s certain now that he isn’t in love with her, which he’d always suspected, but he also began to believe that he would _always_ be in love with Vegeta. Maybe that’s how Vegeta feels about him and Bulma. Chi Chi would never be enough for him, nor would Bulma be for Vegeta, but that’s the path they’ve chosen, isn’t it? And that’s the way it has to be, because Vegeta is going to be King, and Goku is just a second-class citizen.

He finally understood, although his heart didn’t want to agree. How could being with him feel so perfect if it’s so wrong? But his mind argued, that if they _can’t_ be together, regardless if they _want_ to, and if that was the answer he’s been trying to find all this time, he guessed he really _can_ marry Chi Chi and finally let Vegeta go at the same time, because he has no choice. Vegeta has no choice. Vegeta’s repine finally makes sense, but Goku hated it, nonetheless. That’s what Vegeta was trying to tell him all along. Why didn’t he get it sooner? Why didn’t Vegeta stop it sooner? Clearly, it’s because neither of them could help themselves, just like when they first saw each other today.

And Goku thought, _‘Last time… yeah right.’_

Still, something’s not sitting quite right, and he was beginning to worry at the uneasy feeling in his chest. Why hasn’t his brother responded to his text? He brushed every thought aside, pulled out his phone and resent the message, just to be sure, before refocusing on the people around him and the food in front of him.

Back on Planet Vegeta, Dr. Gero’s pods have finally arrived. Geredi had been waiting for them all day and it’s now well into the night. They were marked for arrival at the castle, near the castle’s laboratory, instead of at Dr. Buro’s home. Geredi was a little disappointed by that, but he figured that Dr. Gero wanted whatever gifts he was sending in them to arrive at the castle as to not cause any sort of delay.

Then again, he hasn’t heard from the doctor in about a week, which he found rather odd, but he shrugged it off and remained on task, eager to take a look at the condition the pods were in. Prince Vegeta should be arriving on Planet Earth very soon, and hopefully he’ll receive some feedback from him directly on how that went.

He alone awaited their arrival. It was rather late, and the doctor sighed to himself as he noted that he ought to be getting more sleep, but anticipation was growing within him and he was more excited than anything else, regardless of how tired he was.

After what seemed like forever, the twelve pods opened, and Dr. Buro could hear the computer system speaking, and see the rejuvenation gas leaking out from the sides of the door as it rose.

Then he noticed something rather peculiar. Two people exited from two of the dozen pods… Humans?

… What?

“Who are you?” Dr. Buro wondered, curiously. How were they able to stand? Perhaps humans are far stronger than the Saiyans give them credit for, or perhaps the doctor’s gift was to prove that he had figured out a way to nullify the gravitational effects and make it possible for humans to come to Planet Vegeta. He looked between them and his thoughts continued as he waited for a response.

Finally, one of the them grins, after exchanging a look with the other, and her eyes fell onto the doctor’s intense stare. She said, “Well, well, I guess you must be Dr. Buro? You Saiyans sure do look a lot like the humans back on Earth.”

“Are you… not a human?” Geredi raised a brow, ignoring her strange comment, and then countered more precisely, “What is the meaning of this? Hmm? I thought that Dr. Gero was sending his Highness a gift. Do you have it?”

“Yeah, buddy, that would be us,” the other one answered. The both chuckled. The sound was chilling.

“Explain yourselves,” Dr. Buro growled, growing nervous and annoyed.

“You see,” the male spoke, “Dr. Gero had this idea, and well, he figured we could carry it out for him. No big deal, you know.”

She nodded in agreement with her counterpart, brushing some of her blonde hair back behind her ear, “It seems he’s not too fond of you Saiyans. He was only helping you to get us here.”

Dr. Buro folded his arms across his chest and answered, “Not too fond of the Saiyans? Is that so? Hmm, and who are you that he sent _you_ here? And what is it, exactly, that you came here for?”

They chuckled again, and the male answered, “Well, first things first, we’re looking for King Vegeta. Then we’re going to have a little bit of fun with the rest of the Royal House before we slaughter all of your people. I guess you could say the plan is to take over planet Vegeta.”

Dr. Buro laughed, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, much less think it possible, and he wondered, “Is that so?! You and what army?! Hmm?! And by all means, since you’ve told me this much of your plan, what happens after? Should you survive this feeble attempt at taking over our planet, that is.”

The woman smiled, coolly, and said, “Well, since you asked, there are more of us on the way here, now, but it won’t take very many of us to render this planet useless. And Dr. Gero is planning on taking over the Earth when all of this is said and done. So, when we get back,” she looked at the other, “I guess that’s our next course of action, right bro?”

“You got it, sis, but let’s not forget about the communication barrier the Doc set up before he sent us out here.”

“Oho yeah,” she laughed, “Your people won’t be able to get ahold of the Earth to tell them what’s going on, not that they would be able to get here in time to help you anyways, as if they even could.”

Dr. Buro growled, eyeing them both, and he wondered, “What about the Princess, hmm? What has she done to you that you would attack your own planet?” he scoffed, “And what makes the two of you so cocky that you think you can get by me, much less the entire Saiyan Army and then the Earth’s militia?”

They both grinned, and the female said, “Should we tell him?”

“Ahh, why not?” the male shrugged.

“We’re not human, you fool,” she laughed, “Although we may look it.”

The male frowned, “And we’re not exactly nice.”

“Then… what are you?” his mind suddenly bridged the gap, “Androids?!” he gasped, but marveled all the same, his eyes widening a bit. “Dr. Gero’s done it,” he mumbled. His research on the man was extent, and he would have been a fool to overlook something so big, no matter how secret or undisclosed he thought his experiments were. He finished his thoughts out loud, clamoring to understand, “So he sent androids, under the guise of a gift?! To flank us?! But why?!”

“Now you’re catching on,” the male said and they both laughed hollowly. “See, if your people hadn’t destroyed all of our creator’s hard work during the battle with King Piccolo, maybe Earth and Planet Vegeta _could_ have lived in peace, but Dr. Gero has no plans of any such union.”

Geredi began trying to reign in some type of control on the situation even as he worried that he now had no choice but to battle them, and he argued, “Hmm, and what do you care of that man’s disgruntled relationships? You are his creation, not him. Surely his previous drama hasn’t harmed _you_ any.”

“Good point, but see, we kind of like the idea of causing destruction,” the male said.

“And mayhem,” the woman jeered.

“Mmhmm, and so we don’t mind having a little fun on his behalf. As for the _Princess_ , Bulma Briefs has been a menace to Dr. Gero’s plans for years now. Instead of helping him with his ingenuity, she’s been thwarting his progress, and, well, we kind of like being able to stretch out our limbs,” he laughed, “Getting rid of her will just be an added bonus. Besides, there can’t be two rulers of Earth.”

“But,” she smiled, “for now we’re just looking for King Vegeta. And Prince Vegeta, too, if he’s around. Could you tell us where they are? Maybe we’ll let you live.”

Dr. Buro grit his teeth and replied, “How should I know? I’ve been waiting for you, albeit unknowingly. And you’re going to have to kill me if you plan on getting anywhere on this planet.”

“Hmmm,” the male said, “You’re not going to help us? Then this could take a while, don’t you think, sis?”

“That’s right, bro. But I don’t mind,” she turned to Dr. Buro, “We can take your people out… One Saiyan…”

He finished, “At a time…”

Dr. Buro braced for a fight that he knew was coming, and his mind swirled as he thought of a way to alert the others. Somebody. Anybody. He dodged their first few power-assessing blows and threw a spare blast straight into the castle’s labs, hoping for the alarm to go off. It took a minute, but it did. If someone didn’t hear the explosion, they would at least hear that.

The androids looked from one to the other, seeming to realize what he had done, and they nodded at one another in agreement of something. Next, Geredi even went so far as to try and destroy some of the pods that the androids were sent in, but he only got in a good hit on two of them, before the duo double teamed him. He was forced to scuffle with them directly, and he put his all into it, but they were just too strong.

Dr. Geredi Buro fell lifeless before them, and they stared at the man’s body for a moment before reevaluating their situation.

“He put up a decent fight, Seventeen.”

“Nah, not really,” Seventeen told his sister, “It was no where near enough to stop us. Come on, Eighteen, what are you afraid of?”

“I’m not,” Eighteen argued, “I just wasn’t expecting him. Dr. Gero said he was a doctor, not a fighter.”

“Hmmm, who cares. He’s dead, now. Let’s go see who else we can find,” Seventeen shrugged, “Maybe we can have some fun before killing off the members of the Royal House. Make them sweat about it, you know?”

“No, I don’t know.”

“Stop being so literal.”

“Fine," she sighed, "Let’s go have some fun.”


	24. 24

Chapter 24

Vegeta had tried to contact Dr. Buro, his father, and his brother over the course of the morning, but he was unable to get through on either his scouter or his phone. He could understand why his father might not answer, he is fairly angry with him right now and unusually busy, but Tarble and Geredi? That didn’t make any sense.

His mind went back to what Kakarot had said yesterday about trying to contact Raditz, and he couldn’t help but wonder why this would be happening. Surely his equipment wasn’t faulty. If Kakarot hadn’t mentioned anything then he might have believed that it could have been damaged through his travels, but there was no reason for both of their communications to be down, unless something else was going on.

He really wanted to discuss it with Kakarot, to see if maybe he had heard back from Raditz by chance, but seeing him alone was completely out of the question, and he didn’t want to draw the unwanted attention of anyone else by asking about him. Besides, he was already off the premises from what the rest of the guard had mentioned, and there was no way of searching him out without it looking suspicious. Or at least, that’s how he felt about it. What the guards thought or _knew_ he couldn’t say, but it wasn’t worth the risk.

He pulled out his phone more than once with the intention of texting the other man, but his pride wouldn’t let him do it.

Eventually he asked the four men he’d brought with him if they were having the same issues, and he asked Bulma’s guard to try and contact someone from Planet Vegeta as well. No such luck on any account. His irritation grew exponentially, but he had to cast any doubts aside and focus on the purpose of his trip, which was to see Bulma and his son. He didn’t bring it up to her for the time being, and instead they discussed many other things that seemed more important to her. He supposed that they were important, after all, and let himself be distracted by her for a little while.

Upon getting some alone time together with his wife the next day, however, nothing had changed and Vegeta’s agitation was clear enough to Bulma for her to outright ask him what was wrong. She’d been watching him pacing as he held their son, and she was sure that if Trunks weren’t asleep at the moment, he’d probably be affected by his father’s foul mood. She certainly was.

“Vegeta, you’re gonna put a hole in the floor if you keep on like that. What’s wrong?” She asked, looking up from her computer.

“Hn,” he grunted, and stopped in his tracks for a moment, turning to face her, as he lied, “Nothing.”

She sighed, clearly annoyed, but then said, “Are you sure? Because it looks to me like you’re about ready to destroy something. Why don’t you go train in the Gravity Machine for a little while? My gosh. And try to calm down before you come back to see the baby. I don’t need him getting fussy when he wakes up.”

Vegeta grunted in reply but took her at her offer, setting the baby down in his crib, gratifyingly, before going to exit the room.

Before he could leave, though, Bulma added, “Why don’t you invite Goku to join you? Unless he’s already gone off to Chi Chi’s for the day.”

Vegeta snipped, “And why should I invite him to join me?” curious at her insistence on the two of them “catching up” and wondering at just how much time he spends away from his duties to the Royal House. An afterthought made him question if he’d left to avoid him, but he tossed that thought aside.

She shrugged as she typed away, “I heard the two of you were close, from the way the women talk about your relationship with him. Aren’t you? I mean, it seems like you two have a lot in common, anyways, and I thought you’d want a little more time together than the thirty minutes you spent alone yesterday. I know you were probably rushing that reunion because of me, but you don’t seem to have a close relationship with anyone else here and I’m just trying to make sure you have a good time while you _are_ here. This is your home, too, you know, and I can’t entertain you the _whole_ time, _every_ time you come to visit. Besides, if I had known you were coming, I would have been able to clear my schedule, but I didn’t, and as much as I love the surprise visit, I have a lot of work to do.”

He sneered at her remark but simply quit the room before he or she could say anything else. Damn intelligent woman, and damn _stupid_ guard. If she were any wiser she would have figured out by now that inviting him and Kakarot to spend time together is _not_ in the best interests of his relationship with _her_ , but he was grateful that the guard’s tongues weren’t completely loose, otherwise he was fairly certain he wouldn’t have a “home” to come back to the next time he visits.

Damn Kakarot. Damn communicators! What in the hell is going on?! He’ll just have to take it out on his body in the Gravity Machine in the meantime.

Goku stayed away from Capsule Corp for a few days longer than he would have liked, hoping to let things settle down there before going back. He figured Vegeta wasn’t going to leave for a while, and he used this time to try and convince Chi Chi to come and meet him, while he awaited hearing from his brother.

He wasn’t having any luck when it came to Raditz, but Chi Chi finally agreed to meet Prince Vegeta, although she was very reluctant to do so. There was something about him being a Prince of _his_ people that left her nervous, but Goku tried to assure her that he isn’t as serious as he seems, and that he will adore her, although honestly, Goku didn’t know how Vegeta was going to feel upon meeting his fiancé for the first time and he didn’t know why he was so fixed on getting her there. To save face, maybe? To gauge Vegeta’s reaction? To prove something to himself and everyone else after spending so long pining over the man? He’s _still_ pining over him…

It was too late to stop the meeting from happening, though, as they were already closing in on Capsule Corp., using one of Bulma’s flying contraptions, which Goku could barely drive.

When they arrived, two of Bulma’s guards came out to greet them, and they squealed when they saw Chi Chi with him. Goku fought back a blush, as he always got a little bashful when they got so excited about seeing her, but he was grateful that they weren’t causing him any grief, regardless of if they thought anything was going on or not.

They entered the house and headed for the dining room, where nearly everyone was sitting around, waiting to be fed.

Vegeta and Bulma weren’t there, though. It seemed that they would be out for the entire night. They had taken two of Vegeta’s guards with them. Goku wasn’t too thrilled about that, but there was nothing he could do, so they ate anyways, and he insisted that Chi Chi stay. She reluctantly agreed, never being one to trespass on anyone’s kindness, but to Goku, the Brief’s house was home, and he knew Bulma wouldn’t mind having her over.

The next day, around time for lunch, Bulma and Vegeta finally arrived back home, where Bulma was insistent that she was going to have a party planned the very next evening, and that she wanted everyone there and looking sharp. The message was relayed to Goku through a guard who dropped by his room to tell him the exciting news. He was dealing with a very reluctant Chi Chi back in his bedroom, as she was obstinate in hiding from the Royalty at the time of their arrival. The guard left and Goku tried to usher her out to meet him, but she refused, and swore that she simply had to go back home and get ready before officially meeting anyone, and she insisted that the party tomorrow night would be better timing.

Goku smiled at her and said he understood when he didn’t, and took her back home, where he stayed with her for the rest of the night. He hoped Vegeta might text him and tell him what “plans” he had for them, and he even took out his phone and typed out a message to send to him, instead, but he thought better of it and tried his best to just go to sleep. They would just have to wait until the get together with everyone tomorrow.

The time of the party arrived and Goku brought Chi Chi to Capsule Corp. again.

He spotted Vegeta and Bulma in the crowd of doctors and scientists and guards easily enough, and immediately went up to the Prince and Princess, knowing fully well that Bulma would be delighted to see that Chi Chi could make it to her soiree. Bulma turned to see him as they approached and she smiled and waved, egging them to come closer.

The moment Vegeta saw him, however, he scowled at him, and talking over his wife’s genial hello, he said, “Where have you been, Kakarot?!”

Goku flinched, but he bowed to hide it, before coming back up, saying, “Your Highness, I’ve been out, uh? I’d like you to meet my fiancé, Chi Chi,” he gestured to her lovingly and she bowed gracefully.

Vegeta turned to her with and nodded curtly, replying, “It’s a pleasure,” before turning to Goku with an utterly annoyed face and saying, “Have you gotten a hold of your brother?”

“No,” Goku shook his head, frowning at the reminder, “I haven’t, your Highness.”

“And you think being gone for days at a time is helpful?! No wonder you’re quitting the guard. You hardly are one!” Vegeta snapped at him.

“You’re quitting the Guard?!” Bulma and Chi Chi both asked in unison, and several others from the guard stopped to listen to the conversation with less secrecy than before.

“Ummm…” Goku stalled, looking at Vegeta in embarrassment.

Vegeta only smirked, “You haven’t told them?” and Goku could tell Vegeta was _loving_ having the upper hand of such private knowledge.

Goku laughed and threw his hand up to scratch the back of his head, nervously. “Surprise?!” he answered, unsure of what else to say, and he realized that Vegeta wasn’t done playing games with him, after all. His chest swelled as they stared at one another, and he wanted to smirk, or even narrow his eyes at the man as a way of letting _him_ know that _he_ knows that _this_ isn’t over, but he couldn’t bring himself to do anything other than look at him with curious eyes.

Bulma looked at him quizzically but Chi Chi was beyond ecstatic to hear the news, while Vegeta glared at him in challenge, smirk still on his full lips, and the rest of the guard who were listening began to come closer in order to hear more. The remaining party members, friends and colleagues of Bulma’s, continued chatting outside of their little circle, not paying them much attention. Most of them were too afraid of the Prince to come closer without good reason, and since he was surrounded by so many guards, no one dared to interrupt them.

“When did you decide that Goku?” Bulma wondered, harmlessly.

“Well, I, uh,” Goku stuttered, “Pretty recently… And I wanted to tell you guys,” he looked between Bulma and Chi Chi, “I mean, I planned on it,” and then he looked at Vegeta, saying, “but only after we had discussed it first, Sire.”

Vegeta’s eye twitched at how he’d turned the conversation around on him and the smirk fell from his face, but he shook it off quickly and quipped, “Well now that your secret is out, I believe that you could at least show some courtesy to your future Queen and be more _available_ to her than you have as of late! From my understanding you’re hardly ever here! And you’re still in the guard for the time being! And, _had you been here,_ you would have known that none of us can contact Planet Vegeta! Besides that, we had other plans to lay out, did we not?”

“Yes,” he bowed, confused, and concerned, and his face turned much more serious as he spoke to him, “We did, your Highness, but I thought that-” Vegeta’s face went from angry to menacing as Goku flirted with publicly arguing with him, and so Goku changed what he was going to say quickly, “I-I thought that bringing Chi Chi along tonight was within those plans, my Liege,” his brows furrowed as he asked him, “You can’t get ahold of anyone either?”

Vegeta came back to himself as he realized that they were under a lot of scrutiny right now, and he cursed himself for his forwardness and lack of control around Kakarot, while he answered, “No, I cannot, none of us can,” and then he nodded at Chi Chi and said, awkwardly, “Excuse us for discussing business, but I’m sure you understand. I _have_ been looking forward to meeting you. The night will afford us an opportunity of getting to know one another better.” He didn’t know why he’d said that. He didn’t want to get to know anyone on this planet, much less Kakarot’s betrothed, but he figured saying so would at least afford them a little bit less scrutiny for the time being. Or was paying her any attention making them even _more_ obvious? He didn’t know what to do with himself and he hated it and he grew more uncomfortable by the second, meanwhile Goku was now smiling down at him about _nothing_ and everyone else was _staring_.

Chi Chi beamed a pretty smile and blushed, but Bulma chimed in, looking at Vegeta with intrigue as she asked him, “What do you mean you can’t contact Planet Vegeta? Why didn’t you tell me? How long has this been going on?”

“About two weeks now,” Goku answered for him, “At least, for me it has, I don’t know about anyone else.”

Vegeta glowered at him fiercely, but Goku ignored him, as Chi Chi clung to his arm.

Bulma turned to the rest of the guard who had gathered close and asked, “All of you are having this problem?” They nodded at her, and she replied, shaking her head, “Well that doesn’t make any sense. Something must be wrong with the link between the planets. I’m gonna see if I can figure this out.”

“Bulma,” Vegeta growled as a threat, completely against her leaving him alone with everyone, but as she handed him their son, he took him from her, clearly irked and uncomfortable, but not unwilling.

“It’ll only take a sec,” she argued, patting him on the chest, before sauntering away.

Vegeta looked down at his son, before he glared up at Goku, but Goku could only grin at him in response, while Chi Chi said, “He’s such a handsome boy, isn’t he? You must be so proud!”

Vegeta couldn’t be as angry as he wanted to be, not with an infant in his arms, and not with so many people around, and not with this sweet, Saiyan-like woman looking him in the eyes with absolutely no malevolence within her being. He grunted and shifted awkwardly, and conversation erupted between her and the guards as seamlessly as those around them who hadn’t been paying attention to their conversation had been chatting all along.

Vegeta spent a few minutes caught up in Chi Chi and Trunks and the others who seemed to close in around him before he looked up and noticed that Kakarot had slipped away. He could roar he was so pissed.

Goku found Bulma in her labs and he knocked gently before coming inside anyways.

“You’re knocking for once! What, does having the all-mighty Prince Vegeta around affect your manners, too?” she laughed.

Goku chuckled a little, but he didn’t let her joke dissuade his reasons for following her. He needed to get away as much as he could tell Vegeta wanted to, but he was far more concerned about the disruption in the communication between planets than anything else. He merely said, “You think you can figure out what’s going on?”

“Sure,” she turned to him with a prideful smile, and then she looked back at her diagnostics and added, “But why didn’t any of you guys tell me you were having this problem? It seems like kind of a big deal, don’t you think?”

Goku sighed as he took a seat in one of the lesser used chairs in the room, and said, “I don’t know, I guess I was just hoping I would get a response any day, and I was trying not to think too much of it.” Really, he felt kind of silly, he should have brought it up to her when he first noticed it.

“Hmmm,” she frowned, still searching through her system, “That must be why Vegeta’s been in such a foul mood. He was probably hoping something would change, too, and _I guess_ he didn’t want to worry me with it,” she tutted, “You Saiyan men, you’re different from ours, but you’re similar enough when it comes down to the basics. Never want to talk about your problems… don’t think you need anyone else’s help… hopelessly silent about what you’re actually thinking… the list goes on and on.”

Goku grinned at her and stood up from his chair to go and look over her shoulder, although once he got the screen into view, he realized that he truly had no idea what he was looking at.

“Hmm,” Bulma was mumbling to herself, “Something’s definitely not right, but I can’t pinpoint where it’s coming from.”

After a few more minutes of searching Bulma received a distressed call from Vegeta all but begging her to come back upstairs. She sighed and conceded, and she and Goku returned to the party as quickly as they could.

The moment Goku returned and moved away from Bulma to find Chi Chi, he was intercepted by one of the men of Vegeta’s guard, Herund, who said hello to him, and asked if they could talk for a minute. Goku obliged.

“Hey, you really haven’t been able to contact Raditz, huh?” Herund asked him.

“No,” Goku shook his head, “It’s not that big of a deal, I just wanted to check in and tell him and my father about my engagement, but I still don’t get why it wouldn’t be working.”

“For sure,” Herund nodded, “When Prince Vegeta brought this up to us the day after we arrived, we all thought nothing of it, but now I’m beginning to get a little worried. Did her Highness find anything?”

“No,” Goku shrugged, “I’m sure she could have if she had more time.”

Herund nodded, but he was thin-lipped on the subject after that, and instead he told him, “I saw Raditz the day before we headed out, he’s doing well. Radom’s getting big, running around a lot, and practically speaking like a champ, too.”

“Really?!” Goku grinned, “That’s awesome!”

Herund smirked, “Yep, he’s got his hands full. Looks like our Prince and Princess will soon, too.”

Goku nodded and agreed, as they were approached by several others, who brought Chi Chi along with them, and the night carried on well, not quite like on Planet Vegeta, but then again, that wasn’t a bad thing.

Vegeta avoided Goku at all costs, and Goku did the same, but neither could keep themselves from stealing glances of the other whenever they hoped no one would notice.

“Damn it, Bardock!” King Vegeta cried as the two of them soared through the air, away from the wild shots being aimed at the surrounding cities, “Are we supposed to do nothing but dodge this insanity?! Until what?! Until my people and my palace are destroyed?!”

Bardock spat to the ground, and replied, “I told you! I don’t know how it works! I just know what I’ve seen! You can’t be mad at _me_ for this! We both knew this was coming and we did all we could to prepare for it!”

“Mad! I’m absolutely livid! You said the destruction happened on _Earth_ not on Planet Vegeta!”

“I said I saw humans and Saiyans battling--”

“You said GOKU was the one fighting them! And that the terrain was not that of _this_ planet!”

“Damn it, Endoliarin! Arguing is not going to help us!”

They dropped from the sky as the King called out to his troops from a few miles away through his scouter. He told them to draw back, and save who they could, but to lay low, if they could help it. He would have been back there fighting with them, but Bardock was adamant that they run, knocking him out of the way of a harmful blast and practically carrying him out of there.

Bardock was beyond fearful for their people. It was an odd sense of Deja vu for him, but the last time he’d experienced this, everything was going up in smoke much faster. This time, he’d have to watch them suffer before they were destroyed. At least some of them. He still had hope and faith in his son, but he didn’t know how to fight this on their turf, and he didn’t know how long it would go on. They weren’t even sure what they were up against until a day ago when he finally got a glimpse into one of their minds, and learned that they were androids, and infinitely powerful ones at that.

“How many days now, has it been, since Raditz left with the rest of them?” the King sneered, “And only 9 men at our top speed!”

“I know,” Bardock growled, exasperated, “It’s been 5 days by now. They will get there in two more, but who’s to say they’ll have any answers?! We will have to wait at least another week for Prince Vegeta’s return, should he even decide to come back with them. And I know that’s who you’re waiting on.”

“What the fuck does that mean?! You think he will side with that traitorous bitch?! He would _never_!”

Bardock growled, “I can’t understand these visions any more than you can! But I _know_ I saw him and Goku fighting these damn things! And I don’t think that this is Bulma’s doing! Maybe one of them, but not her! Would she truly be so foolish?! Or depraved… Or… genius…” he licked his lips as they watched an explosion in the distance. “We’ve done all we can for now! Even with you powering up to Super Saiyan- they almost killed you! And then where will we be?!” Bardock grimaced, “We need more allies! Where are all those people you asked for help on this?!”

“They’re on the way!” the King shoved Bardock out of frustration, “And why can’t we get a hold of the humans, hmm?! Much less her guard! Or your son! Or MINE?!”

Bardock pushed him back and away, screaming, “If Dr. Buro’s labs hadn’t been destroyed along with the poor man himself, I’m sure we would have more answers by now!”

“Damn it, Bardock!” the King cursed him again, emotional, “You told me that sending Goku to Earth would ensure that we live! You mentioned a war, but I didn’t think you meant-”

“Running for fear of our lives?!” Bardock shook his head, “I don’t know! I just don’t know! We have to trust that they will figure it out on Earth! And stay alive while we can. It’s you they are after first… And then Prince Vegeta… When they realize he’s not here… They’ll go back for him.”

Another explosion, and they were knocked off their feet at the force of it. They clung to the ground as it rocked beneath them. The King growled in frustration and then sat up, grabbing, and shaking Bardock by his armor as he got to his knees, “With what ship?! The others we sent will take a MONTH to reach them! And then what?!”

Bardock got a glimpse into the King’s mind and he sneered at him aggressively in distaste as he said, breaking his hold of him, “You told them that _she_ is the enemy?! That the _humans_ are the enemy?! Why would you do that?! They won’t know what to think! You should have told them the truth! That we were ambushed! These _things_ are not human, Endoliarin! Can’t you see that?! I _told_ you-”

Vegeta scuffled with him again, standing to full height while arguing, “What does that matter?! They were created by them! We don’t know if it was her or if it wasn’t! And I don’t want to take any chances, unlike **you**! You **dared** to entertain something between your brat and my first-born son when you _knew_ this was coming! Vegeta belongs _here_ , with his people! I’ve been trying my damnedest to get him to stay, but he wouldn’t listen! He should have never left in such a hurry!”

“I helped you separate them to get my son there just the same, didn’t I?! And _you_ pushed him into a marriage with one of _them_! How was that supposed to _keep him here_?! Of course, he would go back! To meet his _son_?! Your _grandson_?!”

The King scowled, “I pushed him into that marriage for the property and the insurance of harmony between the two planets! How was I supposed to know that this would happen! Or that he would run off to be there without even so much as consulting me on it?!”

Bardock gave him an incredulous look before yelling back, “I _told_ you---” He shook his head, “This is ridiculous, and you know it! I know nothing more than what I’ve seen! My visions aren’t a full picture of the future! It’s not like I see them in some perfectly collected scene of events! I only know what I saw and what I _saw_ was _my_ son and _yours_ fighting for their lives to save _ours_!”

Then the King, looking behind Bardock into the sky, took in a deep, quick breath as he saw several other pods coming into the atmosphere from some ways off. Bardock followed his line of sight and they stood stone still, aghast at the view.

“It couldn’t be…” the King breathed.

Nodding, Bardock mumbled, “More of _them_. It is. My Lord, we need to rally up who we can and leave this place at once.”

“And go where?!”

“Anywhere!” Bardock turned to him, gripping his shoulders tightly, “Anywhere but here, for your sake.”

Vegeta drew him close by a strong grip on his armor and kissed him deeply, before pushing him away completely. He agreed, “Let’s go,” and he sent a message through his scouter, telling his mean to head northeast, into the valleys, and to call for any aid that they could, while they still could. If they could gather enough men into the open area, away from civilization, perhaps they could erect a false moon, draw their enemy to them, and then they could take out these insolent machines once and for all.

It was early in the morning the day after the party when the whole of the house was awoken to the sounds and vibrations of an eruption from just outside the premises of Capsule Corporation. Vegeta sprang to his feet as Trunks cried out and Bulma stirred, quietly gasping at the noise and the house being shaken.

“Take the baby and head for the basement. I’ll send for your aid. Go. NOW!” Vegeta demanded, throwing on some clothing in a flash and heading out the door. Bulma was too stunned to reply.

As he ran through the halls several of his guard ran up to meet him, as well as the Princess’, and he commanded two of them to seek out Bulma and to take her to cover, but he never stopped running to the front of the building to see what was going on outside. He could hear a mess of cars honking and people shouting as he and the others approached the exit.

By the time they got through the front door, Goku had beat them to it, having jumped down off one of the balconies and he was greeting… his brother?

“Raditz?!” Goku called, running up to him, surveying the scene as he waved him down.

“Goku! Where is the Prince?! Where is his _wife_?!” Raditz scowled, stepping closer to the mansion to speak with him.

Vegeta was in shock as he approached them quickly, and his eyes scanned the area to assess the situation as best as he could. Ten pods lay in craters littered across the streets, crashed practically right outside of the mansion, causing wrecks and destruction which Vegeta deemed most uncalled for. The people were all a mess and he could hear sirens in the background, approaching fast.

He demanded, before Goku could even speak, “What is this about, Commander?!”

“Prince Vegeta! Hail!” They all bowed, dropping to one knee, and crossing a hand over their heart, and Raditz said, upon standing again, “Your Highness! Dreadful news! Planet Vegeta is under attack! And we have reason to believe that the person behind this could very well be Princess Bulma, Sire!”

“What?!” Goku and Vegeta both cried. The guards stood by, listening, dumbfounded.

“Sire,” one of the others said, “Planet Vegeta is under siege by what appears to be modified humans. Two of them. They are extremely powerful. We are here under orders of King Vegeta to overtake this Planet. Effective immediately.” With that, he turned and nodded to the men who came with him, and eight of the ten took off, going out into the far reaches of the planet, where they planned on repaying some of the damage brought upon them because of the Earthling’s mistake at double crossing them. People in the streets screamed as they saw them darting away.

Raditz remained, along with Prince Tarble, who Vegeta only then noticed. Tarble stepped forward as Raditz was saying that he would only remain for a short while to finish answering any questions, and it was clear by the look on his face that he was troubled by what was going on back home.

Vegeta took a good look at his brother and gathered him closer, though they said nothing to one another for now. Tarble seemed much more serious than usual, sad even, and Goku wondered what the extent of the damage is on Planet Vegeta. He looked up and as he watched the other men’s figures flicker out of sight in the distance and his heart clenched. He knew full well that they were about to cause an upheaval and he couldn’t see the justification in it, regardless of the poor circumstances.

He turned to Raditz, finding his voice, and said, “Princess Bulma didn’t do this! You have to believe me!”

Raditz looked at his brother with a stern face, one that Goku rarely ever sees, and he remarked, “I’ve been given orders, or perhaps you’ve lost respect for your _true_ Royals after being here for so long.”

Vegeta spat, “Commander! What’s the status of Planet Vegeta?! Tell me at once!”

Raditz’s frown deepened as he told him, “Ill, last I saw it, but not hopeless. We need to get back as soon as possible and bring as many of the men as we can. Perhaps there are more pods here. The King is expecting you. As for our planet,” his eyes flicked away for a moment before returning to Vegeta’s, and he explained, “We were ambushed in the middle of the night. Dr. Buro was murdered, and the castle labs destroyed, along with part of the castle, itself. Then they attacked the surrounding cities. They completely destroyed Dr. Buro’s home as well, all of his equipment is gone. It had to have been intentional. Everything was burning… When I last left, the King was planning a counterattack alongside my fath- Bardock, but I know nothing else. We had tried to contact you, but there was no signal. We assume it was designed that way. We know nothing else, other than that these creatures are not human, but they resemble them immensely.”

There was still a great noise clamoring from about them of the humans and their vehicles. Ambulances and policeman were pouring into the streets to control the people whose day has been disrupted from the unannounced arrival of the Saiyans. News trucks were arriving as well, and the sound was rushing through the Prince’s ears as much as he tried to focus on what he was hearing.

Goku’s heart was breaking. He didn’t know how his brother was able to hold it together right now! Dr. Buro, dead?! The cities burning! The King fighting alongside their father! Then the information seemed to settle and something in his mind clicked. He turned to Vegeta and said to him, “Not human?! Could that mean… Androids?!”

Vegeta looked up at him for a moment in acknowledgement, before he grabbed a hold of Tarble and said, shoving him towards the house, “Go inside, find Bulma at once. And then-”

“I’m right here!” she yipped, drawing everyone’s attention. They all turned to see her, and she was scowling something fierce, crossing her arms in front of her. Some of her guards were standing beside her, but it wasn’t clear what they were thinking.

Vegeta yelled at her, “Where’s Trunks?! I thought I told you to-”

She clicked her tongue, interrupting him, clearly pissed, “He’s being looked after by Felia! Now what’s all this about **androids**?! Dr. Gero’s the one who’s been working on _that_ type of a model. And why, I wonder, would you know what those are, _Goku_?!”

“Damn it, woman, we don’t have time for this! Did you not hear what he just said?!” Vegeta yelled again.

“Yeah, I heard!” she snarled, “And so now your whole planet thinks _I_ did this! Because _you_ have been keeping a lot of secrets, apparently!”

Police officers started coming up closer, asking to have a word with Mrs. Briefs through their loudspeaker. Some of the guard immediately blocked them off, not touching or harming them, but not allowing them any closer. The only thing they destroyed was the bullhorn itself, in warning to the uniformed humans. Vegeta’s irritation was only growing as he eyed them quickly, it was all he could do to maintain his calm as his thoughts ran rampant.

She argued, not backing down in the least, and commanding his attention, “You _knew_ **Dr. Gero** was working on androids! Well, of course you knew, _I_ told you! Is _that_ why you enlisted him to help with our technology? Because you wanted your hands in _everything_ the Earth has to offer?! We could have done this without him! I have no doubt that _my_ equations helped him finish building those things! And now look what happened!!” She huffed.

Raditz raised a brow in question as he listened to her repine, and he waited for the Prince to reply, but instead Bulma turned and called out to the guard who were blocking the police, speaking loud enough so that the officers could hear her, as well, “Listen! We’ll take care of this as quickly as we can! We didn’t mean to destroy anything! Now! You all take those machines and bring them to my lab at once!”

Her guard turned to her wide-eyed, perplexed by her strict orders, but they heeded her requests all the same, each of them plucking up one of the machines and carrying them off to the back of the house, where they entered and took them to the basement where her labs were.

The police were too frightened by their strength to do anything about it, and they figured that was a huge help, so they backed off, and tended to the rest of the damage and crowd control. The guards came back to the front as quickly as they could to await their next orders, but they were growing restless and bloodthirsty.

Tarble went to stand beside her, as he had been watching them all closely, and he turned back to face the others as he finally said, “She has a point. I don’t think this was her doing, she’s been far too preoccupied to come up with something so sinister, and so quickly. Dr. Gero seems like the type of man to come up with such a scheme, don’t you think so, Vegeta? Even you didn’t care for the man very much. And neither you nor Goku seemed too surprised to hear the description of such beings. Even calling them by what they are without much preface at all. Why is that?”

Goku spoke before Vegeta could stop him, “The first time we came here, one of the dinners Prince Vegeta had set up was with Dr. Gero. In that meeting they talked about the possibility of androids, but he said the project wasn’t finished…”

Vegeta could only stand by in silence, his blood curdling. This is all his fault.

Tarble stared solemnly at Vegeta, “Why was this not brought back in your reports, brother?”

“Kakarot and I went alone to speak with him,” Vegeta snapped, “Neither Leno nor Emeri had access to the information and I didn’t think it so detrimental. At the time. I thought it rather…” he hesitated.

“Unimportant?” Tarble offered, and he seemed to stare at him with such disappointment it was palpable as he added, “Or should I say, inadequate since the doctor told you the project was unfinished? Or perhaps you thought it was an impossible venture in the first place.”

The elder Prince growled at his little brother, but Goku’s voice struck him out of his musings as he said, speaking directly to him, “We have to find him. There has to be a way to stop him before this gets out of hand.”

Raditz’s watched his little brother speaking to the Prince, and he found it much too informal, but he said nothing for now.

Vegeta didn’t respond, there were too many people watching, and his mind was elsewhere, back home, and even, with the other soldiers who were carrying out his father’s orders. He couldn’t stop them. Prince of this planet or not, his father is still his King.

Tarble turned to Bulma and said, “Do you know anything about these machines?”

“No,” she scowled, still glaring at Vegeta, “I don’t. Getting a good look into Dr. Gero’s personal schematics for anything beyond our plans to speed up space travel was not a part of our contract.”

“And what of the transmissions between planets?” Tarble asked.

“La,” a light seemed to go off in her eyes, “I’ll get right on that.”

“I’ll go with you,” Tarble said, taking a brief moment to glare in his brother’s direction before following her inside.

Raditz finally said, “My Liege? Can you guarantee that Princess Bulma isn’t behind this?”

Vegeta turned to him and nodded, “Most certainly, Raditz. She didn’t do this.”

“So,” Raditz eyed him and his little brother further, “What would you have us do, then?”

The rest of the guard stood nearby, waiting for orders, and Prince Vegeta fought back the urge to shudder as he told them, “Go and find who you can, tell them to hold off, by my orders, explain what you’ve just learned…” They all gave him an incredulous look. Even they know who truly commands them, and Vegeta had never felt so reduced in his life, not since serving under Frieza. Suddenly, he screamed, “Do as I say!”

Every one of the guards dispersed, what they would do, though, the Prince didn’t know. They had every right to be pissed, and he knew it. He was feeling vengeful, himself, and he hadn’t even seen the extent of the damage. The Earthlings, whether it was Bulma or Dr. Gero, deserved to have their comeuppance, and he knew the men would be happier at delivering it under the orders of their King rather than standing down by the orders of their Prince, who was ruefully married to one of them.

Raditz was the last of them to take off, and he cast a heavy gaze upon his brother before doing so. Goku didn’t know what was meant by such a look, and he yearned to know more about his home, but there are more important tasks at hand to consider right now.

At last, only Goku remained, and he turned to Vegeta, watching helplessly as he began to power up, immensely distraught. Goku told him, “Hey! Calm down!”

Vegeta spat, his eyes landing on Goku’s, “Do you have any idea what’s just happened?! Dr. Gero has played me for a fucking fool! And now the entire Earth is going to regret the day I married one of them, and how will we ever come back from this?! Obviously the Saiyans now see them as the enemy, just as they will see us, and the people of the Earth will come to siege this place,” he motioned towards the mansion, “in rebellion against the Saiyans if they attack! Bulma’s life, as well as my son’s, are in grave danger!” he paused for a second, his head turning sharply to one side, before he barked out, “Do you hear it, in the distance? They’ve already begun. This cannot be undone. Damn it. Damn it all! What’s becoming of my planet?! I have to get back!”

“Stop!” Goku argued, grabbing a hold of him by the shoulders, “Beating yourself up over this isn’t going to solve anything! Just stop for a second and let’s think this through!”

Vegeta swatted him away and headed inside of the house, as he said, “Don’t you understand?! We now have enemies on both sides! Regardless of what I told the guard, the chance of those men listening to me is slim! I’m not the King, and they will see me as weak for not wishing to rebuttal against such heinous crimes! Or worse, rebellious to the throne for going against my father’s word! But what was I supposed to do?! Tell them to slaughter the Earthling’s anyways? As payback?! What good will it do?! Gah! This is madness!”

“You did the right thing, Vegeta!”

“And **you**!” he turned to him glaringly, and roared, “You didn’t leave with them when I gave the orders! What do you think you’re doing? Did you forget you’re in the Royal Guard- the same as them?! Your insubordination is going to cost you! Resignation or not! Even if I wanted to account for your actions and say that I asked you to stay behind, I can’t! They all heard what I said! And singling you out is the last thing we need right now!” he shook his head, as he continued running through the house.

“Vegeta-”

“Why are you still here?! Get away from me! I have to find Bulma and leave in one of the ships at once!”

Goku spat, “And what am I supposed to do, then? Go and join them in their fight against the Earthlings?! You just said yourself that won’t help anything! They’re powerless against us- and innocent! I won’t do it! Maybe if you hadn’t been greedily hunting through Earth’s most resourceful humans then you would have never given them the power to do something like this!”

“So, you blame me, too?!” Vegeta glared at him briefly as he carried on, “I may have coerced the man into a dinner and vouched for his _credentials_ , but I did **not** give will to this madness!”

Goku shook his head as he kept up with him, “’I’m sorry! You’re right! I didn’t mean that, and it doesn’t matter! But something has to be done here first _before_ we go back! You think I don’t want to get back home and help them?! I do! But if we leave now it isn’t going to solve anything! Neither is setting up the army here to scare the humans and you know it! They aren’t our enemy! They don’t even know why this is happening! I’ll deal with the consequences when we get back, but for now you have to listen to me! You can’t just leave! We have to stick together and think of something else! Dr. Gero is still out there somewhere--”

Vegeta turned to him suddenly and stopped, gripping him by his shirt as he followed up his refutes by saying, “How dare you argue with me! Or with your _King_! Learn your place! If anyone, _anyone_ heard you speaking to me like that right now-” he shook his head, shoving him away, “Don’t you see what trouble- what _grief_ you’re causing me?!”

“So, I can’t even be honest with you when we’re alone, is that it?!” Goku frowned, “Or is it that you simply don’t like anyone contesting anything you say, or think, or feel?! You said you trusted me once, what changed?”

Vegeta glowered at him, his jaw set tight as his teeth ground together, and he replied, “You don’t know anything about what I’m thinking or feeling! You couldn’t possibly understand the responsibility I have to set this right! This is war, Kakarot! Like it or not! And I must plan out my strategy! This conversation is over! Go and defend the Earthlings against your own men! If you _can_! Otherwise, stay out of my way.”

Chi Chi found them as Vegeta was finishing his statement, complete with daggers from his eyes, and she ran to Goku, hiding in his arms, and begged him to tell her what was going on. Vegeta gave the pair a brief and scrutinizing glance once over before storming off, heading towards Bulma and Tarble’s current location.

Goku held onto Chi Chi as he called out to him, saying, “Please don’t leave the planet, your Highness!” and he couldn’t help but watch after him as he turned the corner, concerned that if Vegeta leaves now it could be a detrimental mistake. 

Dr. Gero knew there were Saiyans on Earth before he sent the androids to Planet Vegeta. He must be planning another attack here! There’s no way he doesn’t have a plan at this point, but what is it? Would going to find Dr. Gero be the same as walking into a trap? But what are they supposed to do?

Vegeta bursts into Bulma’s labs in search for her and his brother. Upon his entrance Bulma jumped, but when she saw it was him, she simply flipped her hair around and ignored him. Tarble, however, stood up and gave him a good once-over. Vegeta glanced off to the right and noticed Felia standing nearby with Trunks.

“What the fuck is your problem?!” Vegeta growls at Tarble, ignoring everyone else in the room, and clearly in no mood to play nice.

“You didn’t see it,” Tarble frowned, “The destruction.”

“And why aren’t you there, helping them?!” Vegeta remarked smartly. Bulma remained still, too busy scanning through everything to try and fix the communication error to stop, but she listened. Felia, too, remained silent but alert.

Tarble shook his head and replied, not caring about the current company hearing their conversation, “And what could I do? You always tell me how weak I am in comparison to you and our father. I’d just be in the way. Besides, apparently, they are after the Royal House as it is so, they sent me with the others, for my safety, as pathetic as that sounds. Father is expecting you to return, though. What will you do? I could stay here, and look after Bulma and Trunks… There are ten pods ready to go now. Say the word and the men will follow you back home.”

Vegeta thought that over, but his mind was running in circles. Dr. Gero created the androids to target the Royal House. He didn’t expect Vegeta to be on Earth when he did this. _‘No, in fact’_ , Vegeta thought, _‘he wanted me there! He was planning on it!’_

He couldn’t get Kakarot’s words out of his head.

He can’t be in two places at once. Of course, he _wants_ to be there, fighting for his people, and his King, and his home, but perhaps Kakarot is right. He could use his presence _here_ at an advantage.

If only he had known! He was planning on catching up with the doctor at some point during his stay, why not take Dr. Gero out first, after all? That way he could at least go home with some dignity intact.

But what if his people need him more than he thinks? What if they’re all counting on him? How strong could a bunch of bolts and wires actually be?!

He swiped a hand through his hair, exasperated.

Bulma suddenly yelled, “Well, that’s fucking bullshit isn’t it?!” and she slammed her fist down on the table, and then she turned and eyed her husband, saying, “At least you didn’t think it was me, _dear_ , that’s comforting,” she turned back to the controls, “I’m trying to see what I can do about this giant mishap, but I’m not sure anything can be done from _here_.” She sighed, going back to clicking around for a moment, “I’ve been trying to hack into Dr. Gero’s mainframes, but that seems like it’s not an option…” she spun around in her chair, looking between the two brothers, “I’m going to have to go straight to his labs to undo this. I was looking at it last night when you brought it up to me. I couldn’t tell then for sure, but it looks like it’s encrypted. And time is clearly not on our side.”

Tarble wondered, “Last night? What do you mean?”

Bulma answered, “They’ve been trying to get a hold of your home since they got here, and Goku said it’s been at least a week before that since he’s be able to contact anyone.”

Tarble’s eyes widened at the very thought and his calculating mind raced through the possibilities. Finally, he said, “It all does us no good. Even if we knew where his labs were, it wouldn’t be safe to take you there.”

“I know where his labs are,” she offered, crossing one leg over the other, “And, yeah sure, I can see where it wouldn’t be safe, but what else are we supposed to do?”

Vegeta chimed in, “You going there is out of the question! Wait! You know where his labs are?!”

“Yes,” she nodded, “Of course, but… They are in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn’t be able to give you a very descriptive map of how to find them if I _don’t_ go with you. He is a very elusive man. Now I see why, I guess you have to be when you’re trying to take over the world.”

What sounded like thunder but felt like an earthquake shook the very city they were in, and Tarble and Vegeta both grew alarmed. Vegeta grabbed Bulma and everyone headed out of the labs in a hurry.

“What the hell was that?” Tarble asked his brother, “You would think that those idiots would know better than to attack _this_ area!”

“Go, take them,” he motioned to the women and the baby, “and get the hell out of here!”

“But-” Bulma began to argue.

Vegeta cut her off, handing her to Tarble as he commanded, “Now!” His brother nodded.

When Vegeta finally got outside of the building for the second time this morning, he noticed a battle going on not too far away. Upon further inspection he saw that it was Kakarot fighting with what looked like a human, and Vegeta took to the sky to intercept the challenge for himself.

He felt his rage boiling and couldn’t believe his good fortune. He wanted to see what he was up against.

He waylaid the artificial male machine, much to the gratification of Goku, but the machine fought back as though it had felt nothing and grinned when he saw the Prince.

The battle commenced, and Goku did his best to lead the android away from the city. Both he and Vegeta tag-teamed the man and the fight went on for some time. Only through their combined efforts were they able to finally defeat it, but they were worse off than either of them would like to admit.

Nearly spent, they turned to one another, the fury and pride of the Saiyan race within them, but the indistinct and unfamiliar taste of defeat had crept into their senses.

“Vegeta… Thank you,” he huffed. If the Prince hadn’t stepped in, Goku wasn’t so sure he would have survived. Really, he was grateful that he didn't leave the planet.

Vegeta replied blankly, “Don’t,” but his eyes were weary.

Goku frowned and remarked, hesitantly, “I think the androids are targeting _us_. The Saiyans, I mean. I had gone back outside to take Chi Chi home before going to look for my brother when I saw it there, floating in the sky,” he shook his head, “It was scanning the area where the pods had landed. Almost like… it was looking for one of us.”

The Prince’s eyes widened as he considered Goku’s words, and he mumbled, “The others,” suddenly feeling insecure about his people being so spread out and so unwarned. “We must tell the others! They can’t fight them alone! We will have to lay low for now!”

Goku was already on it, speaking through the device on his wrist, and telling them to relay the message to the men the King had sent. When he was finished, he said to Vegeta, “Dr. Gero’s not just attacking Planet Vegeta. He’s going after the Saiyans on Earth, too. But why? What’s his goal? How many of those things do you think there are?”

Vegeta shook his head, still catching his breath. Neither of them knew the answer to those questions, of course, but they both were well aware that the war had only begun. He told him, his calculating mind being put to work, “Bulma knows where Dr. Gero’s labs are, but she said they may be difficult to find due to the terrain,” he smirked at him, “Do you think you could find them?”

Goku smiled back and nodded, “You bet.”

“Good,” Vegeta’s smirk fell from his face as he said, “Let’s go back to Capsule Corp. We’ll head out from there.”

Goku’s heart swelled inside of his chest. Yes, this is awful, but damn does it feel good to fight again, and the anticipation of battle swelled within him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Why did I start his giant piece of lifetime movie garbage story. Oh my gosh. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck."
> 
> -An authors note directly from my personal story notes-
> 
> Thanks for all the love guys :) and thank you for reading!


	25. 25

Chapter 25

Chi Chi had been sent back into the house to stay safe while Goku went to battle humanoid creation. Bulma, Felia with the baby, and Tarble encountered her before any of them had a chance to leave Capsule Corp. as Vegeta had commanded. Chi Chi immediately told Bulma that Goku was fighting an android just outside of the city and that she believed that’s also where Prince Vegeta went. She was clearly terrified and Bulma told her that they had to get out of here, but Chi Chi refused, determined not to leave yet, not without knowing that Goku was okay. Bulma nodded at her, appreciating how brave she was, and she expressed to Tarble that she, too, was very hesitant to go. She couldn’t leave her parents behind, and she insisted they stay and grab a few things before heading out anywhere, so they went to find them and came up with a game plan in the meantime.

Upon Goku and Vegeta’s arrival back at the mansion, Vegeta is wroth to find that they are all still there, and he tells Tarble that he isn’t taking this seriously.

Tarble didn’t have time to reply as Bulma immediately yells at Vegeta in return, explaining the situation to him from her perspective.

“We can’t just up and leave, Vegeta! We’re taking my parents with us! And we had to put the forcefield up on my lab and grab a few things! Not all of us can fly, you know! And we might get hungry! _And_ we had to figure out where to _go_! Luckily for us, I know a place where we should be safe! No thanks to you and this _disaster_ that’s been brought upon us!”

Vegeta frowned at her and remarked, “And where is it, anyways? This magical place you have in mind!”

Chi Chi wasn’t paying them any attention, she immediately ran up to Goku and inspected him for injury, although he insisted that he was fine. His clothing showed otherwise. So did Vegeta’s. Tarble, Bulma’s parents, and Felia and the baby, stood by and listened with muted expressions.

“Korin’s Tower,” Bulma answered haughtily, not paying any notice to Vegeta or Goku’s battle worn figures. She added, “I haven’t been there in some time, but I believe that he’ll help us. What’s _your_ big plan, hmm?”

“Kakarot and I are going to search out Dr. Gero,” he answered darkly, receiving a quirk in Tarble’s brow as he looked over the two of them.

Tarble said, “Didn’t you just get back from fighting one of them? The two of you were able to destroy it?” They nodded, but Tarble noticed the fatigue on them and he said, sensibly, “That’s good news, but I think we should all convene, first, and then strategize from there, Korin’s tower, whatever that is. There’s no need to go our separate ways until we have more a plan put into place. Bulma is still needed to hack into Dr. Gero’s labs, after all. Have you heard from the rest of the men?”

Goku shook his head and answered shortly, “No.”

Vegeta was growing more annoyed by the minute. He preferred fighting as a renegade and going in full force. All this talk was aggravating to him. He wasn’t used to having to worry about other people during situations like this.

“Fantastic,” Tarble frowned, but upon inspecting the two of them further he asked, “Are you even good to go for another round? How many more of these things are there, do you think? And how the hell were you able to destroy one when our King cannot?”

“I don’t fucking know, Tarble!” Vegeta yelled, “I’m going to grab my armor and my scouter. Kakarot, you do the same. The rest of you, head out and we’ll follow you there.” As he stomped away, he grumbled something about wasting time and breath and short patience.

Goku looked at Tarble and replied, “It was close, really close. But I’m thinking… I’m thinking maybe not all of the androids are created equal…”

Tarble nodded, “You think Dr. Gero sent the more powerful one’s to planet Vegeta?”

“Yes,” Goku nodded, “If what my brother said is true, and this whole thing was planned, I don’t think he expected someone as powerful as Vegeta to be _here_.” Tarble’s eyes widened a bit as Goku said his brother’s name without the proper title attached to it, but Goku didn’t even notice he’d slipped, and instead was saying, “He’s right, we have to hurry,” and with that he took off through the house.

“Fine!” Bulma snipped, “We’ll get some senzu beans from Korin at least! Let’s go! Everyone, follow me.”

After getting properly dressed and going back outside, Goku and Vegeta were just in time to catch the takeoff of the others, and they flew on opposite sides of the Capsule brand helicopter Bulma used to escape the city with every in tow. No one said a word for some time. It wasn’t until they came upon a strange place which somehow withstood all gravity and architectural sense that anyone spoke.

The cat-man, Korin, stood looking at them all eagerly as the visitors hopped out of the aircraft and two flying men landed unceremoniously. It was clear the cat was dismayed, but upon seeing Bulma he seemed to grow a little less nervous, and he said to her, “What brings you here?! And with so many people?! This is a sacred place you know!”

“I know, Korin. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” she smiled wearily, “Listen, do you think you could let us stay here for a while? And do you have any senzu beans to give us? We really need it.”

The cat-man looked her and her group of friends over wearily as another man approached the group from another part of the building. The large man argued in a gruff voice, “You can’t stay here! We don’t have the room! And I have a feeling you’re bringing trouble with you, anyways! Go on, get out of here!”

“Yajirobi!” Bulma growled, just as Vegeta began to step forward, but she handled the situation, remarking, “You’re still looking well-fed, I see! And staying out of trouble! You coward! Help us out! Please! This is my family, damn it! And if you don’t help us, we could _all_ be doomed!”

Yajirobi looked around at the group at hand and decided to keep his mouth shut as Korin sighed and said, “Yes, Bulma, we will help you. Yajirobi, go and grab the senzu beans. Bulma, tell me what’s going on.”

She began to tell the man of what she knew of the circumstances while Yajirobi brought him a bag of senzu beans. He handed it over to Bulma, who thanks him.

“There’s only 5 in there, I’ll keep a few here, too just in case, but don’t go abusing those things, okay? They’re not easy to grow,” Korin explains.

Bulma nods and hands the bag to Vegeta, still explaining the strange and dangerous situation they’ve landed in. Vegeta grabs one out of the bag and tosses the bag to Goku, who pulled one out and ate it while Vegeta was eating his. As Goku stashed the bag away in his armor the two warriors were stunned at the relief washing over them. They even felt full, as though they’d had a great meal not moments ago. The power of the beans on Earth were much more than those of Planet Vegeta, and both of them marveled at getting their strength back. Vegeta even so much as smirked at Kakarot as Bulma was finishing discussing their plans to go and find Dr. Gero.

Korin sighs as he hears the whole of the story, and he tells her, “I understand. You all can stay here, but it cannot be for long! This place is much too small to accommodate so many! So… How will you manage to find Dr. Gero, anyways?”

“I’ve been thinking,” Tarble stepped up, “I will go with you, Bulma, in the hovercraft, while Vegeta and Goku lure Dr. Gero out of his labs. It’s the best shot we’ve got. That way you will at least have some protection. If something happens…”

“No,” Vegeta argues.

“I’m going, too!” Chi Chi insists.

“You can’t!” Goku contends, “It’s too dangerous!”

“You’re staying here, Tarble,” Vegeta commands. Tarble balks at him.

“I’m a fighter, too!” Chi Chi snaps, “And I won’t stand by while everyone else goes into battle! I can help her!”

Goku frowns at her, thin-lipped, and says, “No, Chi Chi, I can’t let you do that,” turning away from her and towards Vegeta.

Vegeta finally says, “Enough of this. We’re wasting time. Tarble, you stay here and watch the others. Your life cannot be put into any danger. That’s final. Bulma, get in the craft. Kakarot, let’s go,” and he turns towards the balcony, ready to fly.

Tarble’s anger is portrayed on his face, but he doesn’t argue with him. Goku tells Bulma to contact him when they’re getting close. She nods and goes to kiss her baby goodbye, as everyone wishes them all good luck.

The three of them head out.

Tarble clicks on his scouter and tries to speak with some of the men he travelled with, but he gets no reply.

Vegeta clicks on his scouter and tries to speak with Raditz, but there’s no response.

Two androids against his one. _‘Well isn’t this just great?’_ Raditz thinks to himself, _‘And not another fucking soul in sight!’_

Worse yet is that these humanoids don’t even have a power level, so they just seem to spring up out of nowhere. He’s been fighting them for hours, too! And they hardly seem to be damaged at all! Where is everyone?!

He keeps clicking his scouter to try and find some of the others, but some of them are too far away, and he suspects some of the others are fighting their own battles, as well, judging from the fluctuation of his readings.

“Not bad, for a Saiyan!” One of the android’s hollers at him after he gets in a solid hit.

Raditz smirks, “Too bad your powers are maxed out! Is that all you’ve got?!” and he flared his ki and went in for another shot.

They dodged, but he managed to get a small hit, too small to matter. This is insanity.

Finally, Raditz asks them, stalling as he regains his breath, “Who are you? Why are you doing this?! Don’t you realize it’ll be your funeral when all of this is over?!”

“This is just the preliminaries!” One of them laughs, “There are 80 of us in total! And not enough of you, _Princess Guard_!”

“Oh, yeah?” Raditz frowns, “Does that include the two your master sent to my home planet?!”

They look at one another in awe, as one of them states, “How did you know that?”

He sneers and bluffs as he says, trying to get more information, “Because that’s where I was when they were destroyed! I am not a part of the Princess’ Guard! I’m a Commander of the Saiyan Army, you piece of junk! Besides, weren’t you created by Princess Bulma, herself?”

They only chuckle.

“What’s so funny?” Raditz asks.

“Foolish Saiyan! That woman had no part in our creation! And your King must have sent you here in a hurry! Of the 80 of us, forty have gone to Planet Vegeta already! Even if those two were destroyed, which I doubt, your people don’t stand a chance! And once they’re wiped out, and the rest of us return, this planet will be overrun like the insolent ants that they are. Dr. Gero is the only who has any command over us!”

Raditz inhales sharply, knowing now that Goku was right, and he howls as he throws another attack.

They take it like it’s nothing, and one of them tells him, “We may be at maximum, but we also don’t tire. Unlike you. You’ll have to try harder than that.”

He receives a transmission from Vegeta, but he doesn’t have time to respond, as he’s too busy fighting for his life.

“Bulma, are we getting close?” Goku asks her, tired of flying through the deserted land. He maneuvers and goes to fly next to Vegeta.

“Yes, it’s just up ahead, another mile or so,” she says through the bracelet.

“Good,” Vegeta nods, “Tell her to back off, and fly low. We can spot it from here.”

Goku relays the message, and she tells them that the entrance is hidden in the cliffs just up ahead as she veers off and ducks her vehicle lower. He tells her that he’ll let her know when he thinks it’s safe to swoop in, but that she has to be quick. She quips back smartly, but he ignores it.

“Vegeta,” Goku turns to him, “What’s the plan?”

“Murder,” Vegeta replies ominously.

Goku says, “I know that. I mean… What if there are more androids there?”

“We’ll send them back to the junkyard, Kakarot, where they belong.”

Goku can only smirk at his confidence, although he couldn’t help but be a little more cautious. He sees an opening and says, “Up ahead, I think I see it.”

The other doesn’t reply, and neither of them hesitate to land on the small ledge.

Goku turns to Vegeta again and says, “How in the world are we going to lure him away from here…?” How does the doctor come and go, even? The laboratory door is literally located on the side of a makeshift mountain.

Vegeta only growls and begins to walk towards the metal door.

Unexpectedly, Dr. Gero himself opens up the entrance to his labs and steps out of the door to greet them, followed by another suspicious looking character with a larger frame and a pale, white face. Goku stands on guard as Vegeta smirks.

“Ah!” Dr. Gero says, some surprise in his voice, “Prince Vegeta! How good of you to come and visit me! And so soon. I must say this is rather unexpected. And you brought your friend, how nice.”

“Gero,” Vegeta chides threateningly, taking a step closer, “You dared to attack my Kingdom! After everything I promised you!”

Goku can’t help but look upon Dr. Gero with a nervous gaze. He seems different, somehow, and this person beside him, surely, he’s an android. Why would the doctor confront them so openly? Goku knew they needed to be careful, but he didn’t know how to tell Vegeta that, and Vegeta was clearly not thinking about restraint. This whole thing is just too strange to be coincidental.

The doctor laughs, “Promises, promises, Prince. Are you always this haughty? It must be exhausting to be in such a mood all the time.”

“I manage. You on the other hand,” Vegeta replied, “You should be more concerned with your wellbeing than mine.”

Gero merely chuckled and said, “I wonder, how did you find my laboratory? And so soon! You only just got here, from my understanding of the reports on the news.”

Vegeta scoffs, “Your reports aren’t as accurate as you may think, old man,” and he eyes the other as he says in a deep, dark voice, “And your creations, well, I must say, I’m not impressed.”

Dr. Gero grinned at him and said, “My, and here I am being rude, won’t you meet my accomplice? Yes, you guessed it! One of my inventions, Nineteen,” the doctor’s grin slides into a smirk as he turns to the odd-looking man and commands, “Nineteen, be a gentleman now and shake hands with the Prince of Saiyans.”

Vegeta smirks as he approaches him, hell written all over his face. He tells him, “We don’t shake hands on my planet, but… when in Rome,” Vegeta reaches out a hand, planning on using it to waylay the machine, but the moment that the strange creature grabs onto his palm, Vegeta begins to feel the ki being sucked out of him. He lets out a strangled noise of surprise as the android tightens his hold, but he says nothing, too shocked and confused to speak at the moment.

Goku watches wearily, unaware of what’s going on and trying desperately to keep the plan in mind. They have to get Dr. Gero and the android away from here, but how, without causing any suspicion?

The Prince struggles in Nineteens grip for a moment as the android laughs in a robotic voice, saying, “I will now take all of your energy!”

“What…” Vegeta finally says, “What is this?!” before attempting to throw him off of him and the cliff, but the android hangs on, grinning madly.

“Vegeta?!” Goku yells, taking a battle stance, “What’s going on?!”

Nineteen reaches out with his other hand, just as Vegeta goes to punch him, and he grabs ahold of his wrist, doubling the effects and laughing hallow notes. Vegeta grunts and tries to pull away, but he can’t, and he’s losing power by the second.

Dr. Gero lets out a maniacal chuckle, and yells, “Yes, Nineteen! Suck him dry! Don’t let go until you have all of his energy!”

“Vegeta!” Goku tries again, not quite understanding what’s going on, but he turns to Gero as he says, “You! What have you done?!”

Vegeta headbutts the machine but it won’t let go. They take to the air and Goku watches with concern, but he’s grateful they’re now heading away from the entrance. Unaware, Dr. Gero steps forward and takes a swipe at him. Goku catches the movement from the corner of his eye and jumps backward to avoid the hit, surprised by the speed behind the old man. He bounces from cliff to cliff to get away and reassess the situation, but to his amazement, he’s followed closely by the doctor.

“Impossible!” He says to himself as he watches the man approach with inhuman speed.

The doctor howls in laughter upon hearing him, and replies, “On the contrary! You Saiyans have underestimated me for the last time!”

“But- but how?!” Goku wonders, his eyes darting to Vegeta who is still trying to shake Nineteen off of him. He shakes his head and focuses back on Gero, “You’re just a man!”

“Correction! I _was_ just a man! But I have done it, you see, I have proven that the life force of a human can be put into a machine! Can be quantified! Can be exponentially improved upon! I am now, myself, an android!” and he attacks him, with far more ferocity than Goku thought possible. Gero eagerly follows after Goku, throwing punch after punch, until finally one strikes and sends Goku crashing through the rocky terrain.

Caught in the rubble, Goku takes a moment to contact Bulma, hoping that he and Vegeta have managed to get them both far enough away. After coming forth from the cliff-side, and dusting debris off of himself, Dr. Gero attacks him again. He dodges narrowly, and jumps back again, still glancing over at Vegeta, who is now some ways away, and standing on android Nineteen’s face in an attempt to dislodge him. He turns to Gero and asks, “How?! How is this even possible?!” he gestures to him, “And why?!”

“Ah, ah, ah,” the doctor says as he approaches him, “I can’t give away all of my secrets. As for why, that I will tell you. It’s simple, really,” he lifts up his hands as though to show himself off, and says, “I’ve cheated death. I have no need for food, water, or rest! This body will never rot, and this mind will never wither! It’s quite genius, actually. I’m a testament to the times, you see! They said it couldn’t be done and yet I’ve done it! They said I was crazy! They mocked me and slandered me. They ridiculed me! You all doubted me! But look who’s laughing now!” and he let out a great bought of an amused chuckle, celebrating his triumph.

Goku raised a brow and quipped, “And yet you still kept your old body when you could have, I don’t know, looked a lot better.”

Dr. Gero’s laughter halted. “How dare you?!”

“What?” he smirked, “Just a thought.”

The doctor attacked him, and he dodged, hiding himself behind some of the towering rocks, still keeping an eye on Vegeta. They’ve managed to get a good distance away from the labs by now, and he hoped they were giving Bulma enough time, but he was getting worried about the situation they’ve landed in. This is not at all what they were expecting.

“Where did you go?!” Dr. Gero cried, searching the rocks for him.

Goku smiled to himself and turned to send out a stray blast to distract him. After launching it, however, he was stunned to see the doctor run up to it and absorb it through a strange device in his hands.

Shock engulfing his expression, he cried, “Vegeta! Get that thing off of you!”

The doctor laughed again, spotting him now.

“Shit!” Goku growled and he took off into the sky again. He turned, knowing Gero was following him, and stopped in mid-air. Dr. Gero came up and threw a solid punch. Goku took the hit to try and keep him occupied. He glanced over to the labs and saw that Bulma’s aircraft was already parked. Hopefully, she’s quick to work her magic. He said to Gero, buying time, “Hey, I wonder, why did you create that android to look like that? Do you have a thing for clowns?”

Gero, annoyed by him, refused to answer to that, and instead flew in for another hit.

Before their fight could commence, though, they both heard a curdling cry and they turned just in time to see Vegeta ripe Nineteens hands straight from his arms.

“No!” the doctor cried.

Goku smiled down at him and watched as he blew the android away.

“What about your precious creation, now, Dr. Gero?” Goku taunted, “I’m sorry but I don’t have any balloons for you.”

The doctor turned to him with a serious gaze and said, “It’s no matter! Neither of you are powerful enough to take on my army!” and he opened a panel on his arm, and pressed a button inside of it, before closing it back again.

“Army?” Goku asked him, bewildered.

“Yes!” Gero grinned, “They’ll be here, shortly! Even if you do manage to destroy me, you won’t get passed them! They will carry out my dream and destroy every living creature on this planet!”

Vegeta floated up and into the air some ways behind him, and he calls out, getting the doctor’s attention, “I heard what you were saying, about being immortal. Not a bad idea, really. But it only works if your body is indestructible, too, and as you can see, your creations are far from perfect. Unless, of course, you’ve constructed yourself out of some type of impenetrable alloy. Let’s find out, shall we?” and he raised his hand, quickly forming a powerful ki blast.

“Vegeta, no!” Goku cried, but it was too late, Vegeta launched the ball of energy without a second to spare.

Dr. Gero sucked it up with his hands again and laughed, “You fool! You’re only making me stronger!”

“The fuck?!” Vegeta cried. He hadn’t caught that part of the fight between the Doctor and Goku.

With that, the Doctor turned to head away from the two of them, hoping to buy himself some time, that’s when he noticed a Capsule Corp. helicopter taking off from his lab’s entrance. “What the-?” he cried, “Is- is that? It can’t be?! One of the Briefs?!” he turns back to the two of them, beyond angered, “You! You were just stalling?! So that’s how you found me! No matter! Even if they managed to open back up communications between the two planets, it’s too late! The damage is done! There’s nothing that can stop my plans from being carried out! But they- whoever they are- they will pay for their meddling!” and he launched a blast at Bulma’s plane.

Vegeta flew in to try and deck Gero before he could attack, and although he punched the man square in the jaw and shifted where the blast would hit, it was too late to stop the beam from doing its purpose. The blast struck, and the craft careened downward. Goku flew at breakneck speed to check on her. He pulled her from the craft quickly. She was alive, shaken, scared, angry, and a little bruised up, but otherwise fine.

He tells her, “Come on, Princess, we have to get you out of here.”

“Not without the capsules!” She fumes and goes back in to grab them. Thankfully, she packed a spare helicopter and in their rush to head here she didn’t leave it with the others, but since they were in such a hurry to go, she also didn’t leave any of the supplies with the rest of them, and she wasn’t about to leave it all behind now.

Goku frowned, but he understood, and let her grab her things, urging her to hurry and watching the fight above.

Turning to see that his hit made impact, Gero yelled, “It’s too late! And soon it will be too late for you, almighty Prince!”

“You bastard!” Vegeta growls, after assessing that Bulma was safe, and he lets loose a swarm of attacks, hitting not only the doctor turned android, but his lab as well. An explosion follows, and Gero, who’s still alive, though very hurt, turns to see that the entrance to his precious hideout is covered in rubble.

“NO!” the doctor wallows, “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! You prideful beast! All of my hard work! A lifetime of research! You better _hope_ I can still get back inside-!”

“That’s no longer any of your concern,” Vegeta smirks, “Whatever else is inside is out of your grasp, and you’re not going to live long enough to regret the loss. This ends now. I’m going to kill you using nothing but my flesh, and muscle, and bone-crushing power!”

It doesn’t take much more to destroy the man and at last Vegeta feels some sense of relief. That one android was nothing once he got out of his grip, but after fighting the two of them and having his energy drained, he’s not sure he can take on another one. Nevertheless, at least Gero is dead.

He soars over to Goku, who is standing on the ground with Bulma, and he looks his wife over, making sure she’s okay, but he says nothing to her, his blood still boiling.

“We have to get out of here, Vegeta. Gero called the others to him,” Goku explains briefly, “Unless he was bluffing about that, but I’d rather not take the chance!”

Vegeta nods and lifts Bulma into his arms, she hangs onto him and the box of capsules as best as she can, and they take off, staying low and out of sight as they jump through the cascade of rock to make their escape.

Their run was successful and they moved quickly , but neither of them were feeling any better about their chances if they run into any more androids, and they needed to get Bulma out of harm’s way, she was only holding them back.

Eventually, Vegeta takes to the sky, tired of laying low. Goku follows him, but his heart is uneasy. He hasn’t gotten any response from any of Bulma’s guard, and he began to wonder at Vegeta’s speech earlier in the day, and he suspected that perhaps they truly were simply following the King’s orders over the Prince’s or the Princess’ word.

He knew, the further they went, that they were expending too much energy, and that both he and Vegeta are tired. They hardly even fought back there! Vegeta’s simply clenching his teeth and refusing to speak, meanwhile Goku can’t help but feel as though they could be spotted at any moment. His eyes sweep the area as they fly. They have to get Bulma to safety. They have to find the others. This is madness. He didn’t even have a chance to ask Dr. Gero how many more androids there are, or what they even look like!

“Hey, Vegeta,” Goku asks as he’s looking around, clicking through his scouter, “Have you heard from any of the others?”

“No, Kakarot!” Vegeta glares, “Don’t you think I would tell you if I had?”

Goku doesn’t have the frame of mind to react to that statement, and he knows that he’s just as frustrated about the circumstances, so he stays quiet.

They continue to fly for some time before something catches Goku’s eye from the ground and steals the breath from his chest. He veers off, going at breakneck speed, heading towards the body lying in the wastelands.

“Kakarot, what the-?” Vegeta follows after him, Bulma still clinging to him for dear life. It takes him a bit longer to get there for Bulma’s safety, but as they come closer Vegeta’s whole body tenses at the scene before him.

“Raditz?! Raditz?!” Goku wails, fallen to his knees before his brother, and he lifts Raditz’s head up into his arms, crying, “Brother, please! Please, no!” He is shaking. His emotions are overwhelming, even to Vegeta, and much like Goku, for Vegeta, this moment, is nothing but anguish and pain.

Vegeta sets Bulma down and runs over to them, “Kakarot! Raditz…?!” It can’t be.

Seconds feel like hours.

Goku’s rage threatens to burst through him as Vegeta peers over his shoulder at the fallen soldier. Goku mutters, barely containing himself, “How could I let this happen…?! This wasn’t supposed to happen! Those… Damn… Androids!”

Vegeta’s heart stirs, and he takes a step back as Goku’s ki flares, but as he looks closer, he could swear that he saw Raditz’s fingers move. He intercedes on Goku’s lament and claims, “He’s alive! He needs a senzu! Kakarot! Listen to me!”

Kakarot stands to his feet at once, grabbing Raditz from under the knees and his neck, and picking up his brother’s body, bringing it up with his own in one swift movement. He turns to Vegeta and says, in a voice hardly his own, “I can’t let them get away with this!” and his power begins to crackle around them.

Vegeta steals Raditz’s body from Goku’s arms, in awe of his attitude. He takes a few stumbling steps backwards, both at Raditz’s heavy weight, and at Goku’s insane flux of power, and he turns to Bulma, demanding, “What are you waiting for?! You brought another craft, didn’t you?!”

She nods and shudders before the two of them, terrified by their dispositions. She’s never seen either of them so serious. Not like this. She’s never really seen combat like that, either, or murder, and it was all so much to take in at once. Fumbling to take out the pod, she finally manages, and she pops it open as fast as she can, and she climbs inside. Vegeta shoves Raditz’s body inside behind her.

“What are you doing?!” She asks, afraid to admit how frightened she is of the man Vegeta placed in her care against her will.

Vegeta tells her, “Go! Get back to Korin’s tower as fast as you can and get him a senzu!”

Bulma’s face is shock lustered.

“Do you not understand?!” Vegeta wails, “Kakarot is unstable! Get out of here! Now!”

She gulps but closes the door on him and takes off, hoping that she’ll get back to the others before Raditz wakes up, if he wakes up at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For a few chapters here it's not exactly going to be told from Goku's perspective so, keep that in mind. If I did tell it from his perspective it would be... confusing...
> 
> Thanks you guys so much for the hits and the reviews :) You guys are some creative cookies, I love hearing your perspectives! I wish I could give you all a sticker! 
> 
> Still quite a bit to come and I hope to surprise you all, yet! The chapter count as of right now is in the thirties, but it won't hit forty, so don't worry, there is an end in sight, It just might be a while. Also I think these next chapters are a little shorter. There's just so much going on and to help me be more organized I have to break it all up a bit, I hope you don't mind.
> 
> As always, enjoy!


	26. 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok! So I know I just updated this a few days ago, and normally I would hold off for a bit, especially since I'm wracking my brain trying to put everything into readable content, but I'm going on vacation starting tomorrow and I am NOT taking my computer with me. So, I figured I'd update now :) Thank you all so much for reading and for all the love and support!

Chapter 26

The attack during the full moon only did so much.

Bardock brought the King to a safe haven in a city far away from their home, but he was near death, and looking paler by the minute. Bardock wasn’t looking much better. Several of the King’s most loyal men were with them and he told the guards to leave them be so that the King could rest, and commanded that they go and find some food and water in the meantime, while he tended to the King. They left, knowing Bardock’s loyalty, but Bardock knew they wouldn’t be gone long. He had to be quick. So did they. Time was running out for them all and he didn’t know what the next hour would bring, much less the next day, or week.

With some good fortune, and his gift of foresight, he had managed to snag some senzu beans from the castle before things completely went to chaos.

But would his small stash of them be enough to last them through this?

He’s been hanging on to them, hoping that they wouldn’t need them, but now he has no choice. He gave one to the King, chewing it up a little before feeding it to him by mouth. He didn’t need the guards seeing this part of things. Sure, they would have some questions later on, but it didn’t matter right now. All that mattered is that the King survived.

Bardock inadvertently swallowed some of the bean, tasting the bland plant only a little as it went down his coarse throat, and he swallowed stiffly as he watched and waited for the King’s eyes to open- for him to awake renewed. He felt a small surge of strength kindle within him and it was enough to keep him going for now, but still, he stared down at King Vegeta, and pressured him to wake up with all the willpower he could muster.

The King stirred but he did not rise. No doubt, he’s just as tired as them all, if not more so, but Bardock let out an inaudible sigh as he noticed his wounds healing. He would let him sleep as long as they could manage.

Saiyans were growing angry the more widespread the destruction went and the more they all began to realize just how detrimental this attack is becoming. They knew, now, about as much as any other, that the attack had come from Earth, and the general consensus was that if they survive this, there will be hell to pay.

Bardock shuddered as he considered the bigger picture. How many lives have been lost? How many homes have been destroyed? How much havoc would be wrought upon them before either the last android fell, or the last Saiyan perished? There was nothing he nor the King could do or say to stop the blood lust from growing. The only good in all of this was the fact that Bardock knew there were many bases all over the planet full of their finest officers, ready to fight, and already preparing to defend while they had the time, and he hoped that it would be enough to save who they could from this onslaught, and pick up the pieces after everything is through.

The whole planet was shaking, Bardock was sure of it, and he looked up and clamored to the window in a pathetic attempt to gauge the danger around them. What good would watching the onslaught draw nearer do?

Is the planet truly rattling? Or is it just his head that’s spinning from exhaustion, and his body that’s teetering with malnourishment. The small portion of the bean that he ate only did so much, but he refused to take one for himself, not yet. Not unless he has to.

Their elites aren’t strong enough, are they? Hell, the _King_ isn’t strong enough, not even with his top men by his side. Bardock surmised, a little to late, that perhaps he should have been keeping up with his training this whole time, instead of getting lost in the simple gaieties that his luck in life had provided the last thirty years or so.

He didn’t know how many of them there were anymore, he only knew that they could barely manage to kill a dozen of them, but there has to be at least twenty more. Were there more on the way? He didn’t know. He wished he could see a vision beyond this, but nothing was certain, and worse, nothing was coming to him other than what he’s already seen.

Somehow the darkness of no visions beyond what he’s been shown was worse than seeing their fate thrust before his very eyes. He supposed that meant that their survival was hinged on a single thread and he wondered how frayed it was becoming with every passing second.

The android’s powers didn’t dwindle, although they did take damage, just the same. And he knew that they could be destroyed, if only the Saiyans had the strength to do so.

He knew some of the cyborgs were worse for wear than they were leading on, still, they would run when they had to, and then come back full force, teaming together. Sometimes they took out part of the armies, and then sometimes they took out whole cities somewhere far away. They were strategizing their attacks. Perhaps they realized that this wouldn’t be quite the easy conquer they had in mind, or maybe they just don’t care, and they are simply here to accomplish a task, and they are learning quickly how to do that, just the same.

The King’s men returned and Bardock thought of his sons, and of the Princes, and he hoped that they were faring well, and he put his hopes in them, while he tried to think of what to do when the King awoke.

Goku has barely managed to hold in his rage, and Vegeta silently watches him going through what, to the Prince, seems like the throes of madness. He couldn’t have gotten the senzu beans off of him if he tried. He couldn’t even speak to him in these moments, the pain on Goku’s face alone was nearly too much to bear. He darts his eyes back to where Bulma had flown off. She has to be halfway there by now.

Goku’s whole body was tense, and his eyes were bleary and unseeing. His fists were clenched at his sides and Vegeta turned back to him as he noticed that the very sky was darkening about them. He watched the other man anxiously, the power level on his scouter rising, Vegeta turned it off. He’s seen this happen once before, and he knew, at the rate Kakarot’s power was climbing, the machine would burst if he left it on for much longer. Disbelief cradled him as lightening poured down like rain and the static electricity in the air alone caused Vegeta’s whole body to buzz.

Vegeta didn’t know how long it took, but it must have taken some time before Goku finally started to move, but the movement itself didn’t seem natural. He was throwing his head back, and seething with anger, Kakarot’s scouter erupted and fell from his face as his shoulder’s tensed and his body locked. Vegeta felt a shockwave of pressure emanating from him and he couldn’t fathom what he was witnessing.

That’s when it happens. The impossible. The snap. The switch. The transcendence. The conversion of Vegeta’s dreams, only not for him, and he stands by in awe as Goku’s hair points to the sky, bleeding white blonde, and his eyes turned teal, and his face blanches of all emotion other than pure, unadulterated hatred. His muscles bulge, even from beneath his armor, and his stance digs into the earth. Then the screaming stops, screams Vegeta’s never heard before, nor did he even realize he was hearing until their echoes subsided and all around them there was silence.

Goku’s eyes turn to the sky, uncaring and void and Vegeta sees him in all of his glory, the newly transformed man now a perfect image of the power of their people.

He’s done it. He has become a Super Saiyan.

Vegeta was at a complete loss as he watched the process unfold, and as proud as he was of him, and attracted to him all the more, envy shrouded his judgement, and he was speechless for a few moments before he finally took in a deep breath.

“Kakarot!” Vegeta balks, “I-I can’t believe what I’m seeing!”

Goku turns to Vegeta, his face contorted into a look that the Prince could only describe as vengeance, but Goku was truly feeling many things so much deeper than that, barely a few of which he could possibly describe.

He considered their situation gravely as he took the sack of senzu beans out of his armor. He ate one of them and then threw one at Vegeta, saying, “Catch,” calmly, but inside, he was considering making many decisions, and he wasn’t sure what to do first.

Vegeta caught the bean, but he couldn’t help but stare at the other man in awe, waiting for him to say something, _do_ something, _anything_. His jaw was slack for a moment before he closed it, refusing to look as daunted by his power as he truly felt.

Finally, Goku tells him in an icy voice, “This has gone far enough.”

Vegeta can’t even respond, still too stunned by the sight of him, and Goku got the feeling that he was unsure of what he meant.

Goku darts his eyes around for a moment before he settles them back onto Vegeta’s form. He asks, “Are you ready to fight with me, now? Or would you rather sit this out?”

Vegeta finds his voice and snaps back, “What is that supposed to mean, Kakarot?”

Goku frowns, “I don’t want anything to happen to you, Vegeta.”

“Me?! How dare you!” Vegeta growls and steps forward, but Goku notices a slight hesitation in him, whereas before, Vegeta would have never considered backing off.

His frown deepens as the tells the Prince “I’m going to go looking for those androids. I have a feeling the rest of our people aren’t fairing too well, since no one has replied to either of our messages. The scouters are useless to find the androids, anyways, they have no power signature. Maybe you can use yours to find some of the others, but I’m going to hunt the machines down the old fashioned way, one by one, and destroy them, until I’m certain they are all dead, before they have the chance to hurt anyone else.”

Vegeta, although taken aback by the sight of him, and even by his strange attitude, still remarks arrogantly, “Is that so?! Did you not hear what Raditz said?! Super Saiyan or not- even my father couldn’t destroy them!”

“Yes,” Goku steps towards him, nodding, “But we’ve managed to kill some here, haven’t we? We don’t know if those reports are still true. Don’t you think they stand a chance? And once we get back, we can destroy the rest of them, but we have to take care of business here, first.”

“Kakarot…” Vegeta hesitated again.

Goku watched fondly as Vegeta’s lips parted as he concentrated on him and he added, reassuringly, as he drew closer to him, “We can do this. I refuse to back down, especially now, after everything they’ve done.”

He watched as the Prince looked him up and down with a quick flick of his eyes, and noticed a shift in Vegeta’s attitude towards him as he approached, and he knew it had everything to do with the ascension, but he wasn’t above taking advantage of it. Coming all the way until they are chest to chest, he smirked as he said, “What’s the matter? Are you jealous?”

Vegeta’s breath hitches in his throat, but he refused to reply, only narrowing his eyes at him, and swallowing hard, though he tried to hide it.

Goku noticed and he confessed, “It would be best if you managed to ascend, too, Vegeta. I’m not going to make you follow me, but without transforming, you might not want to, as much as I want you by my side,” and with that he took him by the chin and kissed him, before letting go. Taking to the sky without another moment to spare, he left him. He couldn’t deny that in that moment, he felt good, vindicated even, for all the times Vegeta made him feel like a lessor man. It wasn’t in his nature to rub such a thing in his face, but use it to rile him up? Sure, why not? Was it petty? Maybe, considering the dangerous situation they’re in, but he is a Saiyan after all, and the battle lust he’s feeling was stirring up all kinds of unstillable semi-unrequited emotions.

“You---! I---! _Fuck_!” Vegeta stuttered at no one. There were a million things that he wanted to say, a million things going through his mind, but of all the recitations of glory and admiration, of lust and jealousy, of confusion and pride, only a few thoughts broke through with any clarity.

How? _How_?! How did _he_ manage to transform before _him_?!

 _When_ did he get so powerful?!

_HOW DID HE GET SO POWERFUL?!_

Vegeta ate the bean and felt his strength returning and then some. He took off after him without hesitation, but he was remembering Raditz’s words about his father’s current struggle as they replayed in his mind over and over.

These androids are unpredictable at best, and even though they’ve been able to destroy three of them, that’s not enough to convince Vegeta that Goku can do this alone, Super Saiyan or not. Besides, he’s never been one to turn down a fight, and he sure as hell wasn’t about to give up on his goal. Especially not now. Especially not when _Kakarot_ achieved it first.

As Vegeta was closing in on the distance Goku had put between them, his mind reeled on about him, and he couldn’t deny that seeing him like that only spurred emotions he was trying desperately to keep at bay, and jealousy he hated feeling over someone he secretly, but admittingly cared for.

Bulma flies through the sky as fast as the capsule chopper will take her. She can’t help but look over at Raditz several times, making sure that he’s still alive, but hoping that he doesn’t wake up. She doesn’t know what she’d do if he dies during their flight, but she didn’t want to find out what Vegeta would say to her if he did, and she knows even less what to do when he wakes up from taking one of the senzu beans.

Damn Goku and Vegeta both. She couldn’t help but replay everything in her head over and over again. The more she thought about the last few hours of her life, the more certain things didn’t seem to be adding up right.

The doctor being an android for one, well, that’s something she didn’t think she’d ever wrap her mind around.

Aside from that, the battles she witnessed were dumbfounding. Seeing the two powerful Saiyans soaring through the air and taking hits like that made her head hurt. She’d seen it before, the power the Saiyans possess, but she just couldn’t understand it. She supposed she never really would fully make sense of their skills; she’d just have to get used to it.

Moreover, she wasn’t sure what to make of Goku and Vegeta’s relationship the more she saw the two of them speaking to one another. They are obviously much closer than she initially thought, but neither of them speaks of the other man for more than two seconds at a time. Still, she distinctly remembers hearing Goku call him by his name without his title. She didn’t think anyone was allowed to do that except for other royalty, and she certainly hasn’t heard anyone _else_ talk to him like that.

And why was Vegeta being so protective of him? Or was he being protective of her by sending her away? What the hell did Vegeta mean by saying that Goku was unstable, anyways? And what the hell is she supposed to do with that information?! What is she supposed to do with this man she’s bringing back with her?! Was she just supposed to tell everyone else that she left the two of them in the middle of nowhere while Goku was having a crisis?

What kind of mental breakdown could he possibly be having right now that’s more important than everything else that’s going on?! And _Goku_ , of all people, Saiyan or not, he’s not the type of man to get so upset or lose his cool at all! He wouldn’t hurt a fly on accident, much less her! Why didn’t Vegeta just get the senzu beans off of him and give one to Raditz back there? That way Raditz could at least help them with whatever their next plan of attack is! Isn’t Raditz Goku’s brother?! Why didn’t _Goku_ just give him a damn bean?!

Whatever. There’s nothing she can do about it now and thank goodness she was finally approaching Korin’s tower anyways. Just in time, too, she didn’t think she could manage to hold it together for much longer, not without some kind of support, or some answers.

She considers that the lines are opened up to Planet Vegeta briefly before she hops out of the flying machine and yells to Tarble to come and get Raditz, and then to Korin to give them a senzu for the fallen Saiyan.

Korin hands one to Tarble, who was working quickly to bring Raditz’s body out of the plane. He takes the bean to feed to him, crushing it in his hand before sprinkling it into his mouth. He mutters something to him in their language that the rest of the crew doesn’t understand, save for Felia, who was watching them with sad eyes, and he asks Yajirobi for some water. The man complies disgruntledly.

Felia, still holding Trunks, turns and asks Bulma what happened, while her parents and Chi Chi stand by and listen.

Bulma explains the situation as quickly as she can, while she watches Tarble closely, waiting for the giant Saiyan laying on the ground to wake up.

Korin sighs and tells Bulma, “Dr. Gero is dead, then, that’s good news, isn’t it?”

Bulma nods but turns to watch Tarble and Raditz momentarily. She knew this wasn’t over, not by a long shot.

She was struck from her musings as Korin added, “I’m sorry to say this, but you all can’t continue to stay here. There are too many people coming and going from this place, and I’m not so sure it’s safe.”

“Korin!” Bulma snaps, “What am I supposed to do?! Where do you want us to go?!”

Raditz slowly comes to as they argue while Tarble smiles at him, clearly happy to see him awake.

The cat man explains, “There is another place you can go… Kami’s lookout. It’s the safest place to be, and much bigger than this sanctuary.”

“Kami?!” Bulma asks, surprised, and everyone around them listens a little bit closer. “But,” she hesitates, “Where is that?” then she jumps a little and cries, “Oh my gosh! The Dragon balls! I forgot all about them!”

Yajirobi snorts, “What about them? You never found them all. What? Do you think you can somehow manage to do it _now_?”

Bulma sneers at him, but she’s cut off before she can say anything as Korin says, “Yes, that is one option, for sure, but what would you wish for if you did find them?”

Everyone is silent for a moment in thought before Korin says, “Listen, Kami will accept you, especially in this case. He already knows you’re coming. When you leave here, just head straight up. You can’t miss it. Its location is beyond the scouting of anyone who doesn’t know it’s exact whereabouts.” He shakes his head, “Maybe he can help give you guys some ideas, too.”

The gears in Bulma’s mind are grinding, but her thoughts are slightly numbed by the sound of others talking. At first, she had drowned it out because she didn’t understand the language, but when she turned, she noticed that it was Prince Tarble tending to Raditz, and they seemed to be in a quick but heated discussion.

Tarble and Raditz finished speaking as Raditz regains his bearings, standing up to full height. The humans took a step back at the sight of him, but he paid them no mind, and instead he turned to Felia, acknowledging her and smiling down at the young Prince briefly, before setting his sights on the rest of the strangers in the room, his gaze stops when he sees Chi Chi, and he casts her a peculiar glance before turning to speak to Bulma.

He tells her, “My brother was right, I’m sorry I doubted you, I just didn’t know what to think. None of us did. We will make this right in the end, but we have much work to do in the meantime,” and he turned away stepping towards the ledge.

“Commander…” Tarble spoke gently, “Don’t leave just yet. Let’s not be rash. We can come up with another plan to help them, but we need to get a hold of the others, too.”

“Yes,” Raditz answered respectfully, but he shook his head in doubt and explained, “Prince Vegeta left me a message earlier, I didn’t have time to respond… Let me check my scouter while we think.” His eye twitched even as he maintained his calm. He clicked the scouter on and grew alarmed as he saw a power level rising impossibly high. Before he had time to register where it was coming from the device exploded.

Tarble and Felia gawked and asked him what happened.

“I-I don’t know! I’ve never…” he shook his head, “not since… There was a ki spiking and the damn thing just… malfunctioned!” Raditz answered.

Tarble tried his and the same thing happened. He turned to face the others, his quick mind thinking through many things. Bulma looked at them both, worry on her face.

Yajirobi stepped forward, his raspy voice declaring, “Well, you guys heard Korin, you have to go! Staying here is only going to put us in danger!”

“You mean put _you_ in danger, Yajirobi, you good for nothing!” Bulma snipped.

“Enough!” Tarble cried, startling everyone in the room. He determined, his authority unwavering, “We will go! If Kami’s lookout is our only option, then let’s go, now, before another moment is wasted. Felia, you take the baby and ride with the others. Raditz and I will follow in flight outside of the plane. The rest of you, hurry.” With that he thanked Korin for his hospitality, and Yajirobi, although he sneered a little as he did so since he was less than pleased with him. They all left straight away.

By the time they saw the impossibly floating island, Tarble was trying his best to maintain his bearings. They had much to consider, and his thoughts were bent towards these Dragon balls that Bulma mentioned. She spoke of them with genuine affirmation. The rumors must be true, then, since Yajirobi didn’t seem to doubt her, and if so, how difficult it would be to find the rest of the balls in the midst of all this mess.

They landed on Kami’s lookout, again, unceremoniously, and were greeted promptly by a short, strange looking man with skin darker than night, and a tall, scarier looking man, with green skin and pointed ears, and he was holding a long walking stick, though he hardly seemed to need it.

Raditz immediately stood between the man and the rest of those who had gathered there, perceiving him to be of some sort of kin to King Piccolo, a foe the Saiyans had thought they defeated a long time ago. He yelled, “Who the hell are you?!” towards the green man, baring his teeth as he prepared for battle.

The man only smiled and replied, “It’s alright, you can stand down. This is a peaceful place. I keep it that way, and really, I’m glad you are here. Korin mentioned the situation, and I suggested that you come here, instead. It’s much safer up here than down there, especially for all of you.”

Bulma ran forward and told Raditz to stop, but he wouldn’t listen.

“Start talking!” Raditz commanded, in no mood to fool around. He didn’t care who this creature was, he wasn’t about to let anything happen to these people. He had half a mind to strike first and ask questions after.

The man, however, seemed unfazed. He tapped his staff on the ground once before smiling a little and saying, “My name is Kami. I am the guardian of Earth.”

“He created the Dragon balls!” Bulma explained, suddenly becoming very brave in confronting Raditz, “Leave him alone!”

Raditz looked at her with a doubtful gaze, but, then again, he’s been having an interesting last couple of weeks. He figured he should give the man a chance, and he eased up on his stance a bit before questioning, “Dragon balls?” He’s never heard of such a thing and they keep mentioning them like they’re something important. Aside from that, was he supposed to just believe that this man is the guardian of the Earth? What’s next- a moon goddess and her fellow Planet Princesses- this is all just too unreal.

“Yes,” Kami nodded, turning to Bulma, “I created them. Seven magic balls which, if brought together, can be used to summon the great dragon, Shenron, to fulfill one wish.”

“But… how?! What are you, exactly?” Raditz wondered, and then he ground his teeth before asking, “Are you not… kin to King Piccolo?”

Kami frowned but nodded, and replied, “I am, yes.”

Raditz took another threatening step forward, “And why should we trust you?”

Kami smiled sadly and said, “I understand your hesitation, I suppose, but I could ask _you_ the same thing. You have brought such terror to the Earth as it has never seen, at least, at first, but it seems that the Saiyans and the Humans will now forever be connected, by some twist of fate. You will have to work together from now on with your counterpart culture, and I will help you in what ways I can, but I will not have dissention in my home. I do not believe you are evil any more than you believe that _I_ am. I can see it in your eyes, your doubt, and your distrust. I have been here watching over the Earth for some time, you see, though it is not exactly a task I have chosen for myself, and my place here is not to meddle, only to make sure that good always overcomes any evil the Earth may encounter. As for my relation to King Piccolo… well, it’s complicated. You didn’t rid yourself of that foe so easily as you think, but luckily, I sent his reincarnate out into space a long time ago…” he looked away, almost nervously, and seemed reluctant to say more, before his eyes rested back on the group at large. He expounded, “I am offering you my home, and some fortitude, but that is nearly all I can give, along with my hopes that you will do what is necessary to save these people, and yours, before it’s too late.”

Raditz is awed by his speech but says nothing more.

At this Tarble steps forth and says to Bulma, earnestly, “Our reports back on Planet Vegeta state that you’ve found six of the seven Dragon balls already? Tell me that’s so.”

Bulma sighs and admits, “I’ve only ever found five, but as of right now I **do** have six of them… They _do_ exist,” she eyes Kami, and says, “Can you help us find them?”

“No,” he shakes his head, “I cannot. I cannot leave this place, and even as the Dragon’s keeper, I do not know where they are, but you are welcome to stay, and rest, for as long as you’d like.”

“What the hell do you mean you can’t leave?!” Raditz huffed, “Some guardian you are!”

“Wait! Raditz,” Bulma said, shaking slightly, “I… I have a Dragon Radar. I gave it to Goku… I’ll bet it’s in his room back at Capsule Corp. hidden away somewhere!”

“What?!” several of them asked in surprise, including Felia. Trunks stirred at that and began crying.

Bulma huffed and went over, plucking her son from his arms. She explained, bouncing Trunks on her hip to calm him down, “Goku was bored out of his mind as one of my guards! And when he found the Dragon Radar one day while we were talking in one of my labs, I… I don’t know, I figured if anyone could find them it would be him. We had a deal. He would find them all and then bring them to me. Of course, I don’t know what I’d wish for, or what he’d wish for… But just to see them, just to have them all together… It’s been a life-long pursuit, and I figured asking him to help wouldn’t hurt anything. He’s the one who found the sixth ball, but I don’t know how far along he got in his search of the seventh.” She looked at Felia, and expounded, “That’s partly why he was gone so much of the time. I never minded him leaving, anyways, keeping him cooped up seemed like caging a free bird, and he was helping me with a mission I could no longer go on myself.”

“So, six of them are currently sitting at Capsule Corp?” Tarble asked, smirking, “And all we have to do is go and find this radar and then find the remaining ball, and then we can summon this dragon-creature and make a wish?!”

“That’s the idea,” Bulma nodded, smiling a little for the first time today.

Kami frowned, “What will you wish for?”

Their faces fell. They still didn’t know.

Tarble tells Raditz, “No matter, we will think of something. We mustn’t waste any more time. Raditz, do you think you can manage retrieving the Radar and the Dragon balls from Capsule Corp.”

“Yes, your Highness, but… I don’t know which direction it’s in from here or what I’m looking for…”

“Look over the edge,” Kami offered, “You can see all of the Earth from here… even on the other side of the globe.”

The group was stunned to learn such a thing, but Raditz did as he suggested and walked over. He stood in astonishment for a moment as he searched. Once he located the building, he turned to Tarble and bowed, stating, “I’ve found it, Sire.”

Bulma explained, “Felia, will you give Raditz your bracelet?” Felia nodded and did as she asked as she explained, “The radar looks like a clock, but bigger. It’s round with a large screen on it and one button on the top. Once you click it on, it will direct you to the Dragon balls. The ones I have are in my labs, inside a safe, they are made of orange glass, each with a different number of red stars on them, so you’ll know it when you find the safe. The bunker shouldn’t be hard to find, and when you are ready, I will tell you the passcode to get inside.”

Raditz nods as Tarble commands, “Bring them back here before anything else. We’ll try our best to come up with a plan in the meantime.”

Raditz bowed to him and took off.

Bulma sighed watching him leave and said, looking at Trunks, who was still quite fussy, “I think it’s time we take a breather. Trunks needs to eat and so do we. A nap may be in order, too, huh, sweet boy?”

Kami nodded, “Very well, Mr. Popo, prepare a place for our guests to rest, please.”

“Hmm, I don’t see the doctor here anywhere, do you?” One android asks the others, “His signal isn’t even on my radar anymore.”

“Not at all…” another replies.

“Spread out and search,” another commands.

They comb over the entirety of the area, and eventually they only find bits and pieces of the android known as Nineteen and what they can only assume is the remains of Dr. Gero.

“Who could have done this?” one asks.

“A Saiyan, of course.”

“It doesn’t matter,” one of them grins at the others, “Dr. Gero is gone, and look at that,” he points to the entrance of the workshop, “It looks to me like all our concerns are gone with him.”

“Good riddance.”

“Yes,” another one of them chuckles, “His laboratory has been destroyed, but we’re still here. That can only mean…”

“That the device to shut us down is no more.”

They all laugh.

“So, what should we do now?”

“I say we stick to the plan.”

“It’s too late to turn back from it now, isn’t it?”

Another nods, “The others will be back from Planet Vegeta once they are through with them.”

“It shouldn’t take them much longer.”

“Ahh, you’re right. We can lay waste to this land in the meantime, hmm?”

“Yes, why not?” one smirked.

“So, attack the humans, now, too? Or should we wait for the others to return, first?”

“Who cares?”

“I say we take care of the Saiyans, then Princess Bulma, and any other Royalty on this planet. After that, everyone else is fair game.”

“Hey! How about we set up a point system?”

“100 for any Royalty, including any Briefs or Vegeta, 50 for any Saiyan, and 10 for a human?”

They all chuckled, “Seems fair.”

“But if we spread out how we will know who got what?”

“Fine, we’ll go in pairs.”

“Some of us aren’t here…”

“Yes, well, we’ll just have to make them pay for our loss. I left some Saiyans out east that are probably missing me by now.”

“Yes, I left some behind as well, but I’m not telling any of you where they are.”

“Wait, shouldn’t we plan a time to meet back up?”

“I say we play with them for a little bit before taking them all out. We don’t need to rush.”

“Agreed.”

“Yeah, it’s not a race, Fourty-Two, we’re just doing this for fun. Besides, once they’re all gone, we won’t have much to do, might as well enjoy it while it lasts. I’m going to stop and get something to eat first.”

“Of course, you are, Sixty-Three.”

“Shut up.”

With that they spread out, scouring the lands, some with more malintent than others, but not without the feeling of newly found freedom consuming their minds.


	27. 27

Chapter 27

Goku roars as he spots another fallen soldier, one of the Princess’ Guard, and he stops mid flight to consider his options. He didn’t want to waste his energy in trying to seek out the monsters, but at the same time, he wasn’t sure how to draw any of them to him without creating some type of an explosion. Even then, blowing something up would draw them nearer, but how many at once, and could they take them all on if they all came running?

His thoughts bent towards his father and he hoped Bulma had been able to revive his brother. His blood was boiling. His very skin was scorching with heat. He turned and saw Vegeta drawing nearer and he had to admit he was glad that he was here, but he was worried for him, nonetheless.

When Vegeta got close enough, he spotted the woman and grit his teeth in anger. Then he yelled, “Are you done playing hide and seek? You’re wasting time, Kakarot! Let’s call them to us, now!” and he began charging his ki, never one to back down, but always one to let his anger get the better of him.

Goku had heard the rumors of how careless he could be on the battlefield, but also how cunning, and he wasn’t seeing much of that intelligence he knew was in there right now, but what choice did they have? They would have to take their chances, because deep down he understood that every second the androids were out there meant that someone else could be dying.

Still, Goku argued, “Vegeta! What if they all come at once?!”

“Let them come!” Vegeta howled.

“No! This is ridiculous!” Goku countered, shuddering, “We can’t even use the blutz waves from the moon to fight them! Stupid pill… stupid androids… We have to be ready!” He turned from him as he thought and howled in anguish. Vegeta was right. He’d rather bring the wrath of the androids to them than risk anyone else losing their life.

Goku hadn’t even seen the hit coming, and at first, he thought that he’d be sidelined by an android. He had stars blurring his vision for a few moments before he realized that Vegeta had been the one to strike him and he turned to him, giving him an incredulous stare.

The Prince glowered, “Like it or not, I’m still your Prince! You will not tell me what to do! I don’t give a fuck that you are a Super Saiyan!” He pummeled him, throwing an onslaught of furious fists that Goku could only dodge for some time.

It wasn’t that Goku couldn’t counter, it’s that he simply didn’t understand why the Prince was behaving so erratically to attack him right now. He was trying to draw him into taking a strike, but Goku couldn’t bring himself to do it. Something was wrong with this picture. Vegeta wasn’t acting right.

After some time, just when Goku was growing tired of avoiding punches, Vegeta finally managed a good hit, effectively pissing Goku off. He grabbed a hold of one of Vegeta’s fists, slamming him in the stomach with his knee before breaking lose and separating from him entirely, sneering at the other man.

“What’s the big idea, Vegeta?!” Goku argued, “Why are you fighting me?!”

“Why?!” Vegeta answered, anger on his face Goku hated knowing he put there. Vegeta spat, “Why _wouldn’t_ I want to fight you?! Especially now! Do you know what **plans** I had intended for us before all of this madness?!” Goku’s eyes narrowed as he listened, and Vegeta explained, “A fight! Between you and me. No rules. No regulators! No holding back!” He swarmed in again.

Goku blocked what he could, but Vegeta was not backing down, practically begging for Goku to return every violent gesture. Goku watched him with calculating eyes. Vegeta was smirking at him through his onslaught. He wondered what was going through the Prince’s mind.

“Vegeta!” Goku cried, “We need to be conserving our energy!”

The Prince’s grin only widened, and he laughed, “Do we?!” but the mirth left his face when he threw a kick that Goku caught easily, holding his shin and calf against his torso and locking him into place.

“Why now?” Goku asked calmly, still clenching onto him, “Why can’t it wait? I’d be happy to fight you, but not like this. You’re not thinking straight!”

Vegeta smirked again and used the leg Goku had caught to bring himself closer by bending at the knee, and he threw a stiff uppercut at the other man’s jaw. Goku narrowly avoided the blow, but he had to let go of Vegeta in the process.

“You don’t know what I’m thinking!” Vegeta argued, now hovering only inches away from the other man. He chuckled darkly, baiting him, “What’s the matter, Kakarot? Once upon a time you wouldn’t hesitate to strike me. Did something change?”

“No,” Goku said with a half-smile, peering down at him. He answered, “Honestly, I’ve always wanted to spar with you, but I didn’t know you were interested. I’d never turn down the chance to test my strength against yours, but now is not the time.”

Vegeta grabbed him by the neck of his armor and pulled him in for a hungry kiss, shocking Goku completely. His actions weren’t making any sense, but Goku couldn’t deny him a response and he got lost in the sensation far more easily than he should have been able to, considering. He didn’t even notice Vegeta stealing the senzu beans with his other hand until after the Prince shoved him away and flew a few paces back, grinning at his prize.

Goku eyed the bag for a moment before his steely aqua eyes turned up to Vegeta’s cold black one. He wondered, “What are you going to do with those, Vegeta?”

Vegeta smirked, “I’m going to do what I must…” and he stashed them away inside of his armor as he added, “If you won’t fight me, I’ll find someone who will.”

Confusion washed over Goku’s face as he tried to understand what the man’s game plan was. Still, he trusted him. He knew Vegeta’s intentions weren’t malicious. He just _knew_.

A third voice joined the party, startling both of them out of their conversation. It said, “Well, would you look at my luck! If it isn’t Prince Vegeta! And all the way out here, with only one of his fellow guards.” The android eyed Goku, “You don’t look like much of a Saiyan. I didn’t know Saiyans had blonde hair…?”

Goku frowned and replied, anger fueling him, “And you don’t look like much of a challenge. Let’s find out which one of us is right.”

Before their battle could begin, though, Vegeta charged the other man. The android avoided him easily enough, swatting him away with one strong counterattack, sending Vegeta crashing into the ground, turning his landing spot to rubble.

Goku’s eyes darted to Vegeta for only a second before he turned to the android and sneered at him viciously. He knew the Prince was okay, but he was tired of letting these machines get away with so much.

“Prince, huh? Hah!” the android laughed, not paying Goku any mind.

Goku remarked, gaining his attention, “Are we gonna talk or fight?”

The android frowned, but Goku’s comment was enough to spur the machine on, and it flew forward at breakneck speed, launching the first of many attacks.

Goku battled him shortly, but it wasn’t as long lived as he would have liked. It wasn’t enough to quell the anger inside of him, and once Vegeta returned from the crater he’d left in the ground, the two of them together were able to destroy the machine easier than they had initially thought.

Vegeta assessed himself for damage quickly as Goku considered how fortunate they’ve been thus far. The Prince was growing cocky, Goku could sense it, even as Vegeta turned to him and said, “Let’s go, you and me, another round.” He soared to him with intention.

“Damn it!” Goku cried, avoiding Vegeta’s strikes again.

He tried to fly away, but with Vegeta throwing blasts towards him, there was little else he could do unless he planned on engaging him, and he really didn’t want to do that.

It was inevitable that they found two more androids not long afterwards, and thankfully Vegeta immediately stopped his attack on Goku, switching sides, and charged at the beings. They went in for battle without any unnecessary chatter, but this duo was proving to be much more powerful, even with two on two. Goku began to grow nervous. After a few minutes of a warmup, one android targeted Goku, and the other singled out Vegeta, and they had their hands full for longer than they would have liked.

Goku was distracted though, he had to admit. He couldn’t help but watch from the corner of his eye as the Prince fought against his foe and he noticed that Vegeta was making careless mistakes and taking unnecessary hits. Goku couldn’t understand why. The Prince almost seemed to be doing it on purpose. Still, Vegeta grinned and battled on, but Goku kept going in to try and save him whenever he got the chance. Every time he did, though, Vegeta pushed him away, and ordered for him to worry about his own battle.

Again, they won, but Goku wasn’t so sure they could continue like this for much longer.

Vegeta was still looking oddly satisfied and his attitude perturbed Goku. The Prince screamed as he willed more of the androids to them, gathering his ki and letting it explode across the sky.

A third round of androids came quickly, this time three to their two. Goku was beginning to wear down, and Vegeta, well, he was only fighting for himself. They couldn’t win like this, but just when Goku turned a blind eye to one of the androids he’d thought he’d maimed, a blast came rushing forth, and he wasn’t certain he could have avoided it without Vegeta’s sudden bodily sacrifice.

He cried the Prince’s name as he hit the ground and he dropped down to check on him. When he drew nearer, though, despite the mangled bloody mess he was, the Prince was laughing to himself.

“Vegeta?!” Goku asked, his heart racing. The androids were regrouping.

The Prince spat up blood as he sat up, and he reached inside his armor for a senzu bean, taking it and chewing it up as quickly as he could. A maniacal grin spread on his face.

“You--?!” Goku balked as a realization hit him, “You’re crazy!” the younger Saiyan marveled. “So that was your aim the whole time, huh?! That’s why you wanted me to fight you?! That’s why you’ve been so reckless?! To nearly get yourself killed, just so you could get _stronger_?! Vegeta! It’s not worth it!”

Fully recovered, Vegeta grabbed a hold of Goku’s armor once again and argued, “Don’t you fucking tell me what’s worth it!” A blast came careening towards them, and Vegeta shoved Goku out of the way, just as he managed to roll the opposite direction, saving both Goku and himself from getting hit.

Goku couldn’t help but stare at him, even in the midst of such danger. He was completely dumbfounded by the cleverness of his idea, but also struck with grief that he would do something so risky, so careless, just for _strength_. It _is_ true what they say about him; his battle resolve and resources are unmatched. Goku couldn’t deny he was darkly impressed, but his heart clenched sadly for the man at the same time. He would never resort to such measures for the likes of power! He internally vowed that he wouldn’t allow Vegeta to do something like that again if he could help it.

Vegeta spat, tossing Goku a senzu, “Come now, Kakarot, don’t tell me you were scared? Stop staring at me!”

Goku’s heart raced. He _was_ scared. The androids closed in on them. He ate the bean.

This battle was not ending so quickly. The longer it went on the more Goku began to realize that he was putting in nearly everything he had, and it was still barely enough. They managed to destroy one of them, with the help of Vegeta’s power boost, but another one soon came to replace it. Goku was wracking his brain trying to figure out how to destroy them, but he found himself grateful that Vegeta was here more than anything, and especially now that Vegeta seems to have gotten that out of his system.

For all of Vegeta’s self-centered and callous words towards Goku, and even with his renegade style of battling these foes, he saved Goku from a malicious attack on more than one occasion, brushing it off as though it were nothing, and Goku knew that he had returned the favor, although he’d never point it out to him. They were bearing it all out here on the battlefield, even if only to themselves. Undiscussed emotions. Hidden agendas. Unresolved tensions. Even if only to each other.

“Stop trying to be the hero,” Vegeta said bitterly, as they stood back to back.

“Stop throwing yourself in harm’s way!” Goku argued over his shoulder.

The androids closed in on them again.

Tarble could stand it no longer. The humans may need to rest, and they may even be able to find it, but he knew that he would find no peace here, even should he wish it. He doesn’t want peace, though, he wants finality, and regardless of how kind Kami has been, and how surreal Mr. Popo has behaved in the face of this danger, even their presence and calming demeanors are not enough to quell Tarble’s angst. Their lack of action is nothing but a disgrace in his eyes, ethereal rules and all, and this place is proving to be nothing more than a distraction from the significance of this war.

Tarble watched on, pacing round and round as he tried to find his travel companions, his brother, Goku, and all the rest of Saiyans. He searched for the androids, too, trying to familiarize himself with them, but he didn’t really know what he was looking for, and so he didn’t see very many, only those who he noticed fleeing the scene of a massacre against his one of his Saiyan subjects. He etched their faces into his memory.

He found the battleground that had been Dr. Gero’s labs, he recognized the man’s head and one of Bulma’s choppers. He eyed the spot for some time, and he was grateful he didn’t see any Saiyans _there_. Who knows what else lay hidden dormant inside of the labs only rubble covered up?

His eyes continued to scan over the Earth. So many of his people are already dead. He didn’t have the heart to wake the others to tell them. He hardly had the frame of mind to bear it alone, but once certain thoughts crossed his mind and began to take precedence more than any others, he found that he couldn’t cast his ideas aside the later the hour became.

Both Kami and Mr. Popo have offered him refreshments and food, as well as a place to lie down, but he refused, practically ignoring them altogether. How could he allow himself to enjoy such niceties when his people were being murdered? Meanwhile he’s supposed to just sit around and watch?! And wait?! And hope that Vegeta fixes everything while fighting alongside his former, reclusive “ex” bodyguard?!

Which brings him to further consider exactly what Vegeta and **Goku** _are_ , and what they are _capable_ of accomplishing now that they’ve been given the opportunity to step out of the shadows of their fathers.

Yes, Vegeta and Goku he could see just fine, and he watched them closely.

He had to admit that he has a building confidence in them, especially now. Even from a distance he could tell their affair has not ended, not with the way they pay such special attention to one another, and he couldn’t help but wonder if it ever had. After witnessing their undeniable chemistry together on the battlefield down below, he wondered if his brother should have followed his father’s orders in the first place, and he felt bad for both of them, and even worse for both of their women.

Of course, he couldn’t deny that he wasn’t against the affair, in spite of trying to help his father with ending it. He only did that because he knew that if Goku tried to string Vegeta along, Vegeta was fond of him enough to _never_ let it go, but it seems that Vegeta didn’t need the encouragement of the other man to still be so obsessive over him in the first place.

Now, Tarble knew why the scouters exploded, it was Goku’s power surge that destroyed them. Incredibly, the former third-class army brat is now a Super Saiyan. Practically sealing their fate, Tarble couldn’t help but think, with a knowing smirk, that Vegeta’s neurotic mind wouldn’t settle for being bested by the man, nor would he ever let go of his infatuation with him, especially now that Goku’s proven he can outdo him. It was comforting, in a way, because he knew that they would battle on for some time together before facing defeat simply based on their own individual characteristics of will and the fortitude of their minds.

He had always known that there was something special about Goku, and something about him was bringing out the best in his brother, and while it helps that Goku is now a Super Saiyan, much to Tarble’s optimistic surprise, he still had to commend him for both accomplishments. He should have realized sooner that Goku was more than just a charming face and a beacon of positivity so unlike anything his brother had ever known before, and he was proud of him for obtaining such power and mastery of himself, evil in waiting and all, although he hardly knew if that was the right way to put how he feels.

Adding to that, seeing how his brother is clearly more smitten by him than ever, and is refusing to leave his side, even as the weaker fighter, watching them has stirred him in a way Tarble didn’t know was even possible. He had always known his brother would eventually obtain the power of a Super Saiyan, but to see this mere commoner, who only recently turned into a _second_ -class soldier, find it before him, and fight alongside his future King, he couldn’t even sort out his thoughts enough to understand them.

Still, concern was at the forefront of every nerve ending he possesses, and he knows that these fights are surely the pinnacle of their future, and any hope for _their_ future meant hope for his own, for his people, and for the Earth’s as well. He dared not to think that anything ill had become of his father. If Kakarot could hang on with Vegeta, then his father could hang on with Bardock, after all, rumors had it at one point in time that Bardock was nearly as powerful as the King, and his mind wouldn’t allow itself to speculate further in reference to them.

He watched on, and as far as he could tell at the moment, Goku is battling several androids in a remote wasteland, throwing everything he has into each and every powerful blow, while his brother helped to wear them down. They seemed to be arguing off and on in between bouts of attack, and Tarble wondered what they could be discussing so heatedly.

He has no words to describe watching such a scene from so far away and he was tired of allowing his thoughts to overcome his actions. He couldn’t even keep up with how fast their movements were, and he felt helpless and cowardly, while at the same time he wondered when his brother would finally ascend, as much as he wondered how Goku had managed to, but he couldn’t stay focused on them any longer. He simply had to give way to hope for them as he could do nothing else. For now.

His eyes turned, and kept close watch of Raditz, who is fast approaching Capsule Corp., and he trusted the man to do what was necessary and come back safe, but he couldn’t stand to sit back and watch any longer.

After searching everyone out keenly for a while, his calculating mind determined an opening, and he decided that it’s now or never, and that he must go out and take his chances. Risking his life would be worth saving the lives of the others, if only he could get a hold of them, but he no longer had a scouter, and without one, his current knowledge was useless to them and his whereabouts, unknown. 

“Your Highness,” a female voice called from behind him, speaking in their native tongue. “Are you planning on going down there, my Lord?”

“Yes,” he answered, “I am going to try and gather the guard here, together. They are too spread out to make any progress…”

Felia nodded and replied, “Your Highness, you’ve been watching for a little while, now. What have you seen- if you don’t mind me asking? What would you have _me_ do?”

Tarble hardly turned his head as he told her, “Death and dismay, Felia,” and he turned back as he explained, “More of it awaits us if my brother and Goku cannot overcome this. I would have you stay back and protect these people, should anything come to harm them.”

Felia, stepping forward, said, “Goku… and Prince Vegeta… are they….?”

Tarble smirked, “They are… well, they are fighting hard. Come and see for yourself if you wish. But to be honest, I don’t know how much longer they can last against our enemy. I’m afraid this foe is truly beyond us. There’s too many of them, and nearly all of them wield the power of a Legendary. I won’t lie to you, Felia, many have perished, already.”

She gulped and whispered, still hanging on to her stern and unperturbed demeanor, “My Liege…?”

“Stay here,” he commanded, not wishing to discuss this any further. He tells her, “Watch over the others. I’ll be back shortly.” At last he leapt from the dome and flew down to obtain a scouter from one of the men who’d paid their life for the sake of his kingdom.

Raditz swooped down onto Capsule Corp.’s property as quickly as he could. He knew it took him longer than he would have liked, but Kami’s lookout isn’t just around the corner, and he had to slow down a few times to make sure that he was on the right track. Everything on this planet looks so different from his home, and even with his prior experience in navigating new terrain, he usually hunted down people, not buildings.

Upon entering the house, though, he cursed. Where the hell is Goku’s room? He finds that he has to use his nose to search through the house. Luckily, Goku’s scent is familiar, and as the only male Saiyan who lives here, it’s fairly easy to pick out, although it is quite faint. At first the scent brings him to a room he can only describe as a nursery, and he wonders why his scent led him there, faint as it may be. He could smell Vegeta as well, and it was throwing him off of his brother’s trail. The more closely he focused, though, he was able to pick up on it again, and it led him down a few more hallways until he finally reached another door.

Upon opening it he knew that he had found what he was looking for. The smell hit him boldly, and the room itself looked hardly lived in, but messy enough to scream that it belonged to his sibling, and he rummaged about quickly, trying to think like his kin to determine where he might hide something so important.

To Raditz, though, he couldn’t help but think that Goku probably wouldn’t try very hard to hide anything, especially if he didn’t think anyone knew to come looking for it. He sighed as he checked the most obvious places he could think of, and after searching all of his drawers and finding an object he _thought_ could be a Dragon ball, it certainly matched the Princess’ description, he lifted up the mattress and lo and behold, he found the radar. Clicking it on he noted that he had indeed found a suspected Dragon ball, and the other six were in the labs below, just as Bulma had said.

He rolled his eyes momentarily as he thought about how simple that was, and how simple his brother is, but he couldn’t help smiling to himself nonetheless at how easy this mission has turned out. He saw a small sling backpack laying at the foot of Goku’s bed, and he picked it up, placing the dragon ball inside, and slinging it over his shoulder as he left the room, heading to his next destination.

He was beginning to have a lot of questions, though, like why his brother was hiding the seventh ball in his room, but that is something he would just have to ask him later, and that’s only one of the _many_ things he needs to ask him later, but there’s a time and place for everything, and right now they have bigger issues to focus on.

He speaks through the line on the bracelet, calling out to Bulma, trying to remain respectful, but he really wanted to scream at the Princess for sending him on this ridiculous task. Felia might have been a better choice since she’s at least familiar with this place, but urgency often leads to ignorance, and no matter what, he still needed to get the passcodes for the bunker, not to mention find the exact location of the entrance, although the radar was helping him navigate much easier.

Finally, after sending several distressed messages, Bulma awoke, and she groggily led him to the door simply enough and walked him through disarming the protection barrier.

After doing so he might have been in a good mood, had it not been for the sudden rattling of the city around him, and the following shaking he could swear he felt beneath his feet, even this far beneath the ground as he was. He urged her to hurry in directing him on where to go from here.

Bulma seemed to understand, and the brilliant woman quickly explained where to go as though she had walked there with her eyes closed a million times. She gave him the passcode to the door and told him exactly where the safe was. She even gave him the safe’s password so he could check inside and make sure he’d grabbed the correct thing. Raditz plucked it from its hiding place, opened it and grinned as he confirmed it was indeed was he was looking for, before he closed it back up and placed the whole thing in the bag he stole from Goku’s room, and left without delay. Bulma insisted he turned back on the forcefields, and he was rueful of the delay in his escape, but he did as she asked.

He heard destruction coming on from about him once more, and he couldn’t help but wonder at what was going on outside of the mansion, but he knew better than to dwell on it for too long. He hightailed it out of there, forgoing the front door and creating one for himself, not taking any chances.

If what he thought was going on was truly the case, he wasn’t about to get caught alone, and with such a powerful creation as these mystical Dragon balls in a sling on his back. He flew straight towards Kami’s lookout, and only looked back just in time to see Capsule Corp. struck to the ground in the distance, along with much of the city he’d just been visiting.

That can’t be good, but there’s nothing he can do about it now. At least he has what he went there for, and at least he’s still alive. He wondered how his brother and Prince Vegeta were fairing, but he flew eagerly nonetheless, excited to tell the younger Prince the unexpectedly good news.

Bulma only lay in the bed for a little while longer before finally getting up. She found her way out of the room they’d placed her in, and found Trunks in the care of her mother, who scarcely seemed to even need a moment to herself. Bulma was grateful. Her father lay sleeping in the bed beside where her mom sat with her son. They let him sleep.

She wasn’t expecting to have actually fallen asleep herself, and she wasn’t sure how long she’d been out, but she was glad that she was able to take the brief nap, regardless. She searched for Kami and Mr. Popo, who were standing near the edge of the lookout, no doubt watching the commotion going on down below.

She was terrified of looking over the edge herself, but she knew she had to if she wanted any answers. She just wouldn’t be satisfied with only receiving whatever small details they could give her, still she hesitated.

Chi Chi came running up to her from where she had been sitting and worrying alone, at a table somewhere off to the side. The poor woman looked like she hadn’t slept a wink, and Bulma couldn’t help but feel a strange connection with her. After all, they were both waiting on their alien lovers to basically save them all, and there was not much they could do about it.

Neither woman spoke for a while, they simply took solace in the comfort of having one another, but as Bulma turned back to dare going over to the edge of the lookout, she noticed that Tarble was nowhere to be found.

Felia approached them and offered, “Your Highness, did you get enough rest? Perhaps you should go and lay back down. Same for you, Chi Chi, you haven’t slept at all, have you?”

Chi Chi smiled at her and shook her head, but Bulma replied, “No, I can’t sleep. I hadn’t meant to in the first place. Where’s Tarble? Raditz is on his way back, now…”

Nodding, Felia told her, “Prince Tarble has gone out for a little while. He will be back shortly, I am sure.”

Bulma sputtered, “Gone?! Where?!” She couldn’t help but feel a little bit responsible for the man, not that she could stop him from leaving, but Vegeta had been pretty adamant about him not joining in any of the fights, and although he is far more powerful than her, he’s technically her little brother. He really didn’t seem like much of a fighter, anyways, and Bulma couldn’t imagine what Vegeta would have to say if he found out his brother went out to join the battle without his consent.

Frowning, Felia answered, “He didn’t say where… He only said that many of the Saiyans have died fighting the androids, and that he was planning on gathering the remaining fighters together…”

Bulma was beyond words and she stared at her hard in shock. The Saiyan woman was as proud and unmoved as ever, but Bulma noticed the smallest turn in her brow that showed that she was stricken with grief. Bulma ran over to the edge, hoping to spot her husband and Goku. She didn’t even bother asking Felia what else she knew. No amount of hounding her for answers was going to satiate her desire to know if Vegeta and Goku were okay.

“Bulma?” Kami came up to her, resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder, “Perhaps you shouldn’t look, hmm? Let’s get you something to eat. The others will surely be back soon…”

Bulma’s whole body shook as she gazed down, ignoring Kami, swallowing her emotions, and steadying her breath. She looked and looked, and she tried her best to find them. Once she did, she wished she hadn’t. All her elation at seeing the two men alive and well was squandered by what they did in the next moments following.

At first, she wasn’t even sure what she was seeing. Goku looked so strange with white-blonde hair and the markings of battle all over both he and her husband. She watched closer as Goku turned to Vegeta, who turned to him, and smirked that wildly handsome smirk she knew so well.

It wasn’t quick and meaningless, and it certainly wasn’t an accident… The kiss they shared… It stole even Bulma’s breath away. Watching Goku’s bloodied hand come up and grasp her husbands cheek, and seeing her husband throw one of his dirtied hands up, fisting into her bodyguard’s unruly hair as their lips collided, Bulma’s chest swelled up, but she couldn’t look away as she saw them mash their mouths together into a heated kiss, with tongues immediately darting out, exploring, in movements that were not so much intimate as they were needy.

She stepped back from the ledge with stumbling feet in dismay. Confused, heartbroken, and beyond angered, she couldn’t even speak. She dared to look over the edge again, a perfectly manicured hand coming up to cover her mouth just as Felia came up to try and buffer the situation as best she could. Kami and Mr. Popo could only watch as the woman processed brand new emotions.

It seems she doesn’t know her husband as well as she thought she did, and she couldn’t trust Goku as much as she thought she could.

Chi Chi, who was peering down as well, gasped, and immediately stole Felia’s attention when she passed out cold upon spotting Goku and Vegeta and their infidelity. Felia caught the woman and picked her up, asking Mr. Popo to tell her where she could take her. The man led them away quickly as Bulma was still gaining her wits, her fists now shaking at her sides, her teeth grinding in her anger. Felia genuinely wanted to escape Bulma’s wrath rather than discuss the situation with her, and she was ironically thankful for Chi Chi’s overstimulated reaction.

Who knows what types of questions Bulma will begin asking now that she knows that her husband and her head bodyguard have been so unfaithful? Felia didn’t want to find out any time soon, and she preoccupied herself with Chi Chi for as long as she could, practically begging Mr. Popo to bring her some water and a cool washcloth for the young woman.

Bulma finally turned and stomped off, so infuriated that she could scream, but for the moment she found no words suitable, and no prey worthy of her wrath. Yet. The further away from the ledge she got, the more her resolve to hold it all together crumbled. She ran back into the room where she had been laying down before, threw herself onto the bed, and bawled her eyes out, refusing to answer her mother’s questions of what was wrong.

All Bunny could say to console her was, “There, there, dear. Everything will be okay.”

Bulma swatted her away and screamed to be left alone. Eventually, emotional and mental exhaustion caused her to find the rest she desperately needed.


	28. 28

Chapter 28

Tarble arrived back on the lookout with the used scouter he’d gone out looking for securely on his face, replacing his last one. He wore it proudly, turning to nod to Felia as she greeted him promptly, bowing. Kami and Mr. Popo seemed pleased to see him, but no one said anything to him.

He held another scouter in his hand tightly and smirked at Felia, saying, “Raditz is nearly here and thankfully, not everyone’s scouter malfunctioned earlier, so I was able to contact a few of the others. Those I couldn’t reach will hopefully get the message soon. Those who I did are heading this way, now. It took less persuasion than I thought, at least on my end, and for that I am grateful. But I suppose I didn’t have to really sell it, death sells itself, doesn’t it? Still, I can’t be sure what some of them may do… They may go out looking for my brother and Kakarot.”

Felia nodded solemnly, and if her spirits brightened at the good news, she hardly showed it.

Tarble noted her silence and reluctance to celebrate but respected it as he looked around. He observed the mild distress on the faces of both the guard and Kami which was finally beginning to show through their strong façades, but he saw no one else around. He suddenly found himself a little irritated. He asked, in a biting tone, “Where are the others? Have they been sleeping this whole time?”

“No, your Highness,” she answered quietly, and she glanced in Bulma’s direction before turning back to him, saying, “There’s been some… grief placed upon the Princess in the last few hours, I’m afraid.”

“What’s the matter with her?” Tarble frowned. The last thing he needed was anything coming up wrong with his brother’s wife during this whole mess.

Felia could only blink at him hard, not knowing how to proceed with this information, but Raditz landed right then, saving her once more from having a less than desirable conversation.

“Commander Raditz!” Tarble grinned, and he tossed him the scouter he held.

Raditz caught it and eyed his prince briefly before asking, “Where did you get this, your Highness?”

“Never mind that!” Tarble snapped, “Show me what you’ve found!”

Kami watched them closely.

Raditz smirked and nodded, putting on the scouter that was gifted to him. In their native tongue he said, “With pleasure, my Liege, but I’d like to do so in private, if you don’t mind,” and he glanced at Kami and Mr. Popo briefly, as he searched out the area quickly, looking for everyone else.

Tarble gave him an inquisitive look before nodding and saying, “Felia, come with us,” and he walked briskly across the platform and into one of the many empty rooms it held. Raditz followed him closely, with Felia right behind him.

Raditz removed the bag from his shoulder, placing it on the table, and he took the safe out of it, along with the radar. He remembered the passcode that Bulma had given him and used it to open up the box, showing the others his prize.

Tarble marveled at the display, and he smirked to himself as he looked at their bounty. Finally, he said, still speaking the old language, “So, all we need to do is find the seventh ball…”

“Actually, no,” Raditz smirked, and he reached back into the bag, revealing the final piece.

Tarble’s jaw fell and he wondered, “How did you find it so fast?!”

“I didn’t,” Raditz explained, quirking a brow in delighted explanation, “My brother did. He already had this one hiding in his room. Who knows how long he’s been holding onto it…?”

Felia could only listen, just as shocked about it as they were, and she stared at the objects intensely in between looking at her Prince and her Commander’s faces.

Tarble smirked, and said mockingly, chuckling a little, “Well, it seems Goku is clever on _and_ off the battlefield, to have found such a thing and kept it to himself. I wonder why he didn’t give it to Bulma immediately upon finding it?”

Raditz could only shrug as he answered, “My brother is a simple man. He has no need of making wishes to a magical dragon. If I had to guess, I’d say he was just waiting for the right time to give it to her. As a gift for a special occasion, maybe? I don’t know.”

“Or perhaps he and my brother were working together on this one, hmm?” Tarble’s smirk widened, “I wouldn’t put it passed Vegeta to use Goku to get the dragonballs for his own purposes.”

“Hm?” Raditz grunted, disbelieving. Tarble shot him a look and he said, “I’m not saying Prince Vegeta isn’t capable of such a scheme, but last time I spoke to Goku I asked him if he’d seen the Prince when he came to visit, and he said he hadn’t seen or talked to the Prince since he left Planet Vegeta to live on Earth, and that was nearly two years ago. He doesn’t lie to me, Prince Tarble. He’s not very good at it.”

Tarble chuckled darkly, “So sure about that, are you?” and he looked at Felia, amused and in a weirdly good mood. He asked her, “Tell me, and don’t pretend to be ignorant of the situation, what do you think, hmm? Has Goku’s affair ended with my brother or not?”

Felia looked from one man to the other once quickly before she exclaimed, “My Liege! To my knowledge, Raditz is correct, Goku has not spoken to the Prince until he arrived here just the other day! But the affair has most certainly not ended!” She frowned sadly, and revealed, “Goku is just as much in love with him now as he was when he left Planet Vegeta, I think. And… well, to be perfectly clear, Princess Bulma _and_ Chi Chi just found out for themselves just how real their affair truly is.”

“What?!” Raditz cried.

“What do you mean?!” Tarble replied eagerly.

Felia huffed and remarked, “The Princess saw them together, my Lord, over the edge… They both did. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t listen.”

“Saw them _what?_ ” Raditz wondered, in shock.

“Kissing… We all saw it,” Felia revealed, and then she shook her head, tired of being so perfectly politically correct under such stress. She finally spat, “Why they were _kissing_ in the midst of war, I don’t know—the whole thing is a fucking mess!” Raditz growled at this news but Felia kept on, saying, “I’ll admit that when Goku proposed to Chi Chi I thought that it seemed a little off, but I suppose that he was at least _trying_ to move on seeing as how Prince Vegeta has… or had… but when Prince Vegeta came back just recently, well, we all knew it wasn’t over.”

“WHAT?!” Raditz yelled, “My brother got _engaged_ and didn’t tell me?! And he’s… he’s _fraternizing_ with our married Prince!”

“Calm down, Commander!” Tarble snapped at him, but he digested Felia’s speech as well as he could. He narrowed his eyes at her and asked, “How do you know that, exactly?”

Felia resisted the urge to roll her eyes and instead simply pursed her lips before admitting, “It was obvious, trust me, at least, to a Saiyan, but neither Bulma nor Chi Chi were aware of their prior relationship,” she shrugged, “And to the good credit of both Goku and the Prince, I don’t think anything truly was going on until they saw each other again. I know it sounds silly, but… when Prince Vegeta visited the first time, I got the impression that he was hoping to see Goku. He kept looking around, as though he was expecting him, and even though he only asked about him once, I… I don’t know, it was just so… painfully clear to myself and the rest of the guard that he longed to see him. But, of course, we had sent him away, per his Majesty’s instructions. When Goku returned after the Prince left, he was upset to learn that he’d missed his visit, though he hid it as best he could. That’s when he pushed his relationship with Chi Chi, I think. But there’s been so much going on. I can’t say anything else for sure. Clearly, they can’t help it, your Highness. They can’t keep their eyes off of each other in public, I can’t imagine how they are alone. I’m sure you remember their disappearance at your wedding, Commander…” she shook her head and blurted out, “When Bulma saw the two of them she was absolutely pissed. Who wouldn’t be? But… surprisingly, she didn’t go off on anyone right then, which means there will be hell to pay when she awakens! She cried herself to sleep. Chi Chi passed out, the poor thing. Oh, and by the way, Chi Chi’s pregnant. The small, dark man out there, he told me he could sense the growing life-force inside of her. She needs to rest. I don’t believe she knows. I don’t think Goku knows, either.”

“Great,” Tarble muttered, and he turned his vision back to the balls as he thought about these additional complications.

“Damn it, Goku!” Raditz growled to himself, “What the hell is wrong with him?! Entertaining such an arrangement! The very idea of it! Prince Tarble, I’m sorry for the trouble that he’s caused the Royal Family!”

Tarble looked at him strangely before he replied, hardly moved by this new information, “You think this is all his fault? That he somehow coerced my brother into cheating on his wife? No, I can guarantee you that’s not how that went down, but I appreciate your concern for our family matters,” Raditz flinched as Tarble explained, “This is both of their problems and both of their faults. One cannot go on and blame the other without blaming themselves. Your brother’s pining after mine is not the cause of my own brother’s transgressions, nor his feelings for him, which are now no doubt tenfold what they were,” he looked at Felia and remarked, “I know exactly what you mean by your explanation. My brother may be a little bit better at hiding his thoughts, but he’s become hopelessly absorbed with Goku. I could see it, too, even after all this time, even in his absence.” He looked at Raditz and said, “You know my brother, once he finds something he’s interested in, he never lets it go, especially not when he thinks so highly of something, and he has good reason to think so much of Goku. Ah, but I almost forgot to tell you, Raditz. You don’t even know what I’m talking about,” he grinned, “Your dear brother is a Super Saiyan, now. That power that destroyed the scouter… it was him. That must have been why Vegeta sent you and Bulma away so quickly. Goku must have been on the verge of losing control and Vegeta was trying to protect the both of you should his anger have gotten away from him.”

Raditz could only stammer in confusion.

Tarble, still thinking quickly, told them, “I will let them deal with their problems in the future, given that they even get the chance, but for now we must proceed with our own dilemma and make plans accordingly. We have to summon the dragon as soon as we can,” He reached out and closed the safe. Pushing it to Raditz, he said, “Enough talking about it. Let’s go. Wake the others at once! I don’t care what type of pitiful state the Princess is in!” With that he turned to walk out the door.

Raditz nodded, but he was still stuck processing everything. He wasn’t sure he was capable of wrapping his mind around all of this. Still, he put the Dragon ball, the case, and the radar back in the bag, while thinking many things.

Tarble added, stopping to turn to the Commander, “What about communication with Planet Vegeta?! Damn it! I completely forgot! I should have asked you to try and reach them while you were there!”

It was Raditz turn to frown and share information he’d rather not have to say, but he told the Prince, “I’m sorry, my Liege, but Capsule Corp. was leveled not long after I left. I _was_ able to turn on the security system to Princess Bulma’s labs, but… I would say that there’s not much hope in getting in there, now, even if they are still intact.” Even if he’d had the time to do so, he highly doubted he would have been able to figure out Bulma’s equipment. His father would have, no problem, but that’s not exactly his area of expertise. He kept that information to himself, though, but he was beginning to feel like every mission they’ve undergone thus far was turning out to be a day late and a man short.

“What?! Fuck!” Tarble cursed. With that he stormed out of the room, intent on heading to see Kami to ask him how to call upon the dragon. Raditz and Felia followed him quickly.

When they came out of the room, they were promptly greeted by seven of their fellow Saiyans, who had just arrived, some from Tarble and Raditz’s group, and some, the guards of the Princess. Behind them, he saw Bulma herself, looking angry as hell, along with her parents, the youngest Prince, Chi Chi, whose pretty brown eyes were red from crying, and the caretakers of this humble abode who were coming towards them.

Kami steps forward and sighs as he approaches Tarble. Frowning, he says, “When the other warriors arrived, I awoke everyone that was sleeping and brought them out here. They’ve been waiting for you, meanwhile your brother and Goku are still out there, and I believe the battle has taken a turn for the worse. Are you done talking, now? I think everyone here has a right to know what’s going on and time is not a luxury we can spare, young Prince. Did you figure out a plan?”

Tarble’s heart clenched at his words. _The battle has taken a turn for the worse_. He wanted nothing more than to help them! To save them all! He could sense that the man was turning distrustful of him, but he ignored the clever eye of the green creature and spoke to his people, steadying a threateningly wavering voice, and saying, “Yes, we are finished, amongst ourselves anyways. There are still some things which are unclear, but we have with us a weapon that is hopefully powerful enough to destroy the androids, according to the Princess.”

Bulma stepped forwards, her eyes set on Tarble, her hands clenched in anger, and she bemoaned, threateningly, “ _I_ have not been **dishonest** , Tarble!”

The Saiyans grew alarmed and confused at her outburst, especially the one’s who’d initially came here with the Prince, but Tarble simply said in a heavy tone, “I understand you are upset, but _your quarrel is not with me_! Nor have I been unfaithful to you! Now!” Tarble motions for Raditz to bring forth the items and the remaining Saiyans wince at his attitude. It’s so seldom he ever gets serious, but the gravity of the situation was truly beginning to weigh down on them all. He tells them, “We have the Dragon balls! All seven of them!”

Raditz set the case down, face open, in the midst of the group. He pulled the final Dragon ball out and placed it inside with the others.

Bulma gasped, and wondered, “But- How?!”

Tarble ignored her, “Kami! How do you summon this Dragon?!”

Kami frowned, “What will you wish for, Prince Tarble?”

There was a murmur amongst them and then silence followed before a quiet, female voice meekly said, “They were humans once, weren’t they? Maybe we could… change them back?”

The crowd turned to Chi Chi at the sound of her voice, who looked bashfully back at them.

After a quiet moment of contemplation, Felia grinned at her, saying, “Yes! That’s it! Turn them back! Back into the humans that they were!” She turned to Prince Tarble, adding, “They would be easily taken down after that!”

Kami nodded.

Tarble was elated by the idea and he told the green alien, “That will be our wish, Guardian. Now! We don’t have a moment to spare! Summon the Dragon!” He itched to look over the ledge again to see how his brother and Goku were fairing, but this demanded his attention.

He peered into the faces of the people gathered here as the seconds ticked by. Is this all there is? Seven Saiyans left out of how many that were here? Twenty-six? His heart and his head hurt just thinking about the destruction that must have come to his people back home. That must still be happening! And the genocide that would surely hit them all if they failed.

Kami stepped forward, raising both of his hands before the seven mystical balls, and he cried out, “ETERNAL DRAGON! COME FORTH AND GRANT OUR WISH!”

The booms of a powerful battle were what brought them all to attention, but it came and went quickly enough. At first, the androids thought nothing of it, figuring that it was simply their comrades duking it out with the Saiyans that they’ve found scattered across the land. They learned all too quickly just how wrong they were.

Another sonic surge of power alerted them, again, coming, lingering, and then disappearing altogether. This time, they were more than curious to find out who had won the jackpot to their friendly, deadly competition. One of them _must_ be fighting Prince Vegeta.

When they started to assemble all together, they soon realized that out of forty, less than half were still alive. They saw the remains of their fellow machine as they flew toward their next battle and grew alarmed and angry. They had no intention of continuing to watch themselves be picked off one by one. All it took was one of them to communicate to the others that it was indeed Prince Vegeta, and another powerful warrior, that were to blame, and the rest came running for retribution, prior games mostly set aside.

By this time, all of them that were left, twelve half-man half-machines, gathered together, and they determined amongst themselves to be rid of this annoying golden-haired Saiyan, just as much as they were eager to destroy Vegeta. It didn’t matter that they knew they’d left some Saiyan stragglers out there, the sooner they could rid themselves of this more challenging adversary, the better.

Some of the Saiyan men who received the transmission from their fellow officers refused to follow Prince Tarble’s orders in favor of aiding Prince Vegeta, and they gathered together to search him out. Most of the men had no scouter from whatever had set it off earlier, but luckily for them, their others sought them out, they had turned off their scouters before they could explode so they were still of use to them, and they recruited them to join them in their next conquest. Only three men in total came to watch and hopefully participate in deciding the fate of their people, but when they got to the battle scene, they knew that there was nothing they could do.

Prince Tarble was right to summon them, even though they didn’t listen. This foe is too much, and if they had stayed apart and attempted to continue fighting the way that they were, they knew that they would have perished alongside the others. Even the power of the Oozaru hadn’t worked. The androids had known about that type of attack, and they blew up the false moon, or cut off the tails of many of their fallen warriors. They were on their last leg, even without entering the fight, and while they were warriors at heart, they had never faced an enemy like this.

Now, even after seeing Goku, who, much to their collected amazement, has turned into a Super Saiyan, they realized that he is _still_ struggling to ward off these creations, much like their King had been before they left. He and their extremely powerful and prideful Prince were putting everything they had into each and every attack. There were so many androids surrounding them, entering the battle seemed like suicide, so they hung back, and hoped, and waited, and thought many things.

Vegeta and Goku argued amongst themselves several times during the heat of their exchanges with the androids, and the androids seemed, for now, content with toying with them.

It wasn’t until the Saiyan pair managed to take out two more of them, that the androids became more sinister.

“Vegeta! Look out!” Goku could be heard crying out to the Prince, even as he was dealing with his own swarm of machines.

The Prince didn’t even bat a lash in his direction as he spoke to him so commonly, and the men of the guard all looked at one another, and murmured that the rumors must have been true, that Goku and Vegeta _did_ have one hell of an affair at one point in time. It would be best to leave them be, as cowardly as they felt, they didn’t stand a chance.

Goku threw one of the machines off of him and regrouped with the Prince, standing beside him for just a few moments. He was winded, and torn up, and running out of options, but he was not beyond finding a way. They just had to find a way.

He glanced at the Prince and thought about their passionate kiss from just a little while ago. They had celebrated a small victory, a battle won, and even though the war wasn’t over, seeing Vegeta like this was turning him on, apparently the Prince, too, and the battle-lust was difficult to ignore.

But things have gotten so much worse since then.

Vegeta spoke angrily to Goku, his thoughts not on the same topic as Goku’s, exactly, and the venom of jealousy laced his voice as he was fighting through his exhaustion. He said bitingly, seeming to contemplate many things, “You’re not my bodyguard, anymore, Kakarot. You don’t have to come running to my side every time one of them attacks me. Just focus on taking out who you can, and I’ll do my part.”

Goku wanted to argue that he was simply trying to keep them both alive, but he knew Vegeta was too stubborn to listen to what he had to say, and he didn’t have the time even if he thought it would make a difference. He noticed that Vegeta was badly wounded, he could tell his left arm was hurting something fierce right now, although he was hiding that fact, and there was a gash on his chest that needed to be tended. Still, the Prince stood proudly and tried to hide his labored breathing.

The androids swarmed in again and the battle took off in yet another heated trade of blows. The five Saiyans watching noted the grace of Goku’s Super Saiyan form, and the dedication in every hit, and the grit of Prince Vegeta’s strikes, and the cleverness behind every attack. The two of them managed to take out two more.

The androids regrouped and so did Goku and Vegeta. The pair stood side by side again and watched as the androids seemed to all come to a collected agreement, but no words were spoken between them. Goku’s gut told him something was wrong. The androids were making some sort of plan; that can’t be a good sign. He wanted to say something to the Prince, and he kept glancing at him, but Vegeta wouldn’t even look at him and he didn’t allow his eyes to stray from the androids for too long.

One of the machines sent out a swarm of attacks, which resulted in the two Saiyan fighters taking off in opposite directions to avoid being hit. Two of the androids waylaid Goku, and three others attacked Vegeta, but three were hanging back, three of the more powerful ones from what Goku could surmise, and they seemed to be gathering energy, only, it wasn’t pointed at both of them. The blasts were pointing at Vegeta.

Time slackened as Goku suddenly caught on to their plan and the surreal few seconds it took to survey the scene played out in slow motion. They _wanted_ to separate them. They _needed_ to separate them! Goku watched, heart clenching, as the three who were striking at the Prince knocked him to the ground before going to join the three in the air. Vegeta struggled to get back up, and Goku saw him cough up some blood.

The two who had been trying to strike Goku a moment before now clung onto him, holding him back by each of his arms, as the others, now a joined six in total, fired up a blast meant to kill and aimed solely at Vegeta.

Goku watched in horror as he was held back, and he struggled against them. He felt as though he couldn’t gather any air into his lungs. Words failed him. He fought to get out of the android’s grasps as Vegeta finally stood to his feet, stumbling, but shaking off the last attack and refocusing.

Vegeta hasn’t noticed the ambush, yet, too disoriented to catch on.

Goku knew if he did nothing, if he couldn’t get to him, Vegeta would die, but he was caught by the others and Vegeta was so far away.

“Bardock…” King Vegeta wiped the sweat from his brow, “I think we’ve met our match…”

“Never,” Bardock grinned at him, but he thought for a fleeting moment that he may very well be right. No. He knew that he was. They didn’t stand a chance. Even with the aid from the other planets that the King has called upon, it hasn’t been enough. The debt they now owe their people as well as the lives they’ve lost of their own was heart-wrenching, and Bardock couldn’t fathom the disgrace the King was feeling, especially for him to admit something like that.

They were hiding away again, strategizing, and all of their best men were out scouting the area as best as they could, resting, eating, regaining their strength, or gathering resources. Every one of them awaited new orders, but their resolve was weakening with every devastating blow. Still, they followed the orders of their King, and the allies they had drawn to them weren’t deserting them.

The King’s mind was heavy as he looked from one eye to the next on Bardock’s battle worn face, and he found himself smirking back at his long-time friend and lover. He told him, “You always were a reckless warrior, weren’t you? It’s been far too long since I’ve seen you fight. I almost forgot. That’s how you got that scar…” and he reached out and touched his face, deep in thought.

Bardock chuckled and slapped the King’s hand away, afraid of someone walking in on them, but he smacked him sportingly on the back, and told him in kind, “I’m a little bit wiser this time around, but it’s been a long time since I’ve fought alongside a man I could trust, my Liege, and I’m happy to do it, now.”

The King nodded, and remarked, “I’m tired of this. I’m tired of lurching in hideaways and playing it safe… I will not die a coward on my own soil.”

Bardock understood and respected his resolve. He was feeling much the same. He told him, “I will make the call… if that’s what you would have me do.” He stared into the King’s weary eyes, and grief-stricken features, and the King nodded solemnly, but his jaw was set with pride.

“We will rise to meet them for the final battle. Call everyone, and get them ready,” his Majesty said, and he turned to look out into the blood red sky. “We will face this foe head on, one last time, and we will defeat them, or we will die trying.”

“Yes, my King,” Bardock nodded, and he squeezed the royal’s shoulder once before stepping away, heaviness in his footfalls as he headed out to deliver the message and gather the troops.

The sky darkened as the Dragon balls began to glow. Suddenly, in a wicked display of gold flashes like sparks, flickering upwards from the seven magic orbs, lightening burst forth and went soaring into the air. The congregation on the floating island screamed and stepped back.

A giant serpent, a great, green Dragon now loomed over them, and his presence commanded their attention. They had never seen anything like it. Each and every being standing on the lookout was silenced beyond words for some time, except for Prince Trunks, who could not help but cry out at the sight of the beast. Even as the Dragon introduced himself and asked them to come forth with their wish, they still hesitated.

Finally, Tarble cried, “Dragon! Shenron!” he gulped, “I wish for you to turn the androids created by Dr. Gero back into humans!”

The Dragons fiery red eyes shone for a moment or two before he thundered, “IT CANNOT BE DONE.”

Tarble, his anger overruling him, screamed back, “WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN IT CAN’T BE DONE?!”

The whole of the audience was baffled and stood in petrified awe of the beast. They could hardly believe the Prince had the guts to speak to him in such a manner, but they could do nothing other than watch the exchange.

Shenron grumbled at him, and then replied, in a rumbling voice, “IT IS BEYOND MY POWER. I CANNOT DESTROY ANYTHING STRONGER THAN MY OWN MASTER…”

Tarble set his eyes on Kami, and stomped over to him, grabbing ahold of him by the front of his cape. “You!” he growled, “Did you know?! Did you know this?! You fucking liar!”

Kami frowned deeply at him, but he did not show that he felt threatened. He only answered, “I had suspected it… but I didn’t know for sure… I am sorry, Prince Tarble, there’s nothing I can do.”

“I’m going to fucking kill you!” Tarble powered up and reared back a fist, ready to attack.

“No!” Mr. Popo cried, along with Bulma. Mr. Popo explained, “Killing him will not get you what you want, you vengeful Saiyan! If Kami dies- the dragon dies as well!”

“What?!” Several of the guards cried.

Tarble glared at the man but shoved the man in his clutches away. He spat, “Then what the hell do we do?! What the hell do we wish for?! WHAT THE FUCK IS THE POINT OF A MAGIC DRAGON?!”

The assembly was silenced, except for the cries of Prince Trunks echoing around them. Bulma held onto her son, her mind turning at the possibilities.

Everyone present was woefully downtrodden at this news. The Prince glared at Kami, but he could think of nothing useful. He saw the faces of everyone surrounding him, and even with the magic of the dragon, and the opportunity to make another wish, none of them were convinced that there was a way out of this.

The Dragon grumbled, growing impatient, and implored that someone, anyone, ask him _something_.

A thought struck Bulma, too simple to ignore, and too obvious to have thought of right away. She turned to the great dragon and asked, hopefully, “Shenron! Can you show us a way to kill the androids that Dr. Gero created?!”

Tarble turned to her and have her an incredulous look. What a blasphemous question! Silly human woman!

The Dragon bellowed, “THERE IS A WAY… EVERY ANDROID HAS A BOMB PLACED INSIDE OF THEM. IN GERO’S LABORATORY THERE IS A TRIGGER THAT WILL SET IT OFF.” He showed them an image of the device and explained, “PUSH THE RED BUTTON AND THE ANDROIDS WILL EXPLODE. BUT…”

“But _what?!_ ” Bulma cried.

Tarble’s jaw dropped in shock at this information and he took a few fumbling steps back as he considered the dragon’s words. He ran over to the edge of the floating island and looked down, searching, scanning, his heart rate climbing. He had just seen the location of his labs a few hours ago! He could find it! He could get to it! He could—

Interrupting his thoughts, the Dragon replied, “IN ORDER FOR THE DETONATOR TO WORK, YOU MUST BE WITHIN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE ANDROIDS.”

Tarble’s heart dropped and he turned back, glaring at the beast despite his intimidating size and prowess.

The Dragon bellowed, “I HAVE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTIONS…!”

“No!” Bulma yelled, “That’s not good enough! Please! The androids! There are more on planet Vegeta! Can’t you make the detonator work from _any_ distance! _PLEASE!_ ” she begged him.

Shenron seemed to contemplate this for some time.

Tarble watched the Dragon, impressed by Bulma’s boldness.

The Dragon replied, after his eyes glowed red, “YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED!”

Tarble grinned and turned back around, powering up without a second to spare, his eyes searching, his heart hammering.

“Your Majesty!” A Saiyan member of the party called to him “You must stay here! What if there are other androids out there that aren’t in the fight with Prince Vegeta?! What if they find you!”

Tarble ignored him, but he couldn’t help but notice his brother and Goku losing their battle against the androids down below. They looked worn down. They couldn’t last much longer. Even their combined strength isn’t enough!

He held back tears for his people and the people of the Earth and focused. He has to hurry.

“NOW!” the Dragon cried, “I WILL RESUME MY SLUMBER!”

Everybody screamed out as the Dragon soared up through the air.

Tarble searched on through glistening eyes. There. The labs. He found them.

“My Prince!” one of the Princess guard cried, “If Prince Vegeta can’t fight them—”

Tarble jumped from the platform, soaring through the sky.

“Prince Tarble!” The Saiyans shrieked, and two of them flew after him right away.

Raditz hesitated, distracted as he saw the dragonballs arise into the air, along with the Dragon himself, and with another flash of lightening, they scattered across the sky, turning back to stone, and seating themselves across the vast reaches of the Earth, not to be found again for some time.

“Tarble…” Bulma muttered as she watched him go, and she held Trunks close. The child’s wails were nearly unbearable, but no one could blame him.

They all placed their hope in Prince Tarble, now.

The androids laughed and promised Vegeta his death, launching their attack upon their unsuspecting victim.

Vegeta finally looked up and saw the beam heading straight for him. He didn’t have time to dodge, even if he had the strength to get away. He was frozen in place, a lifetime of regret washing over him. Hid death was eminent.

Goku’s panic rose as the attack descended on the Prince and he watched in dismay, his fear for Vegeta’s life overwhelming every other thought.

Out of sheer desperation in the moment, he roared, his power exploding exponentially.

The blast his body created surprised the androids holding him back, overpowering them, and throwing the them both off of him, causing them to fly backwards and skid across the ground.

Goku zipped forward, using every bit of energy and speed he had just to get to Vegeta, hoping he would make it in time.

He jumped right in front of the blast and covered the Prince’s body with his own, taking the whole force of the blow directly on to his back, without any defenses at all. White light engulfed them.

The watching Saiyans gasped and cried out, but they could do nothing other than cover their eyes until the emitted light dissipated and the smoke cleared.

The android’s cold laughter could still be heard, ear-throttling notes in the background, a symphony meant for a ceremony of the dead.

The three Saiyan soldiers stood dumbfounded as they could finally see the aftermath of the android’s ominous attack. Goku had somehow managed to get there in time. He shielded Prince Vegeta effectively, with his own body. There was no doubt in their minds that he had just saved the Prince’s life.

The android’s continual laughter at the scene was nauseating.

Prince Vegeta choked on his own intake of breath. Caught by surprise, and scarcely aware that he was still alive, confusion washed over him, even as his hands flew up to catch onto Goku, who slumped forwards onto him. He wasn’t sure what just happened, but he realized he was now holding Goku’s body up against his and the man wasn’t speaking, and he wasn’t moving. Goku’s hands were clinging to his back, but his grip was loosening up by the second.

_‘Did he just… save my life…?’_

Is this what it’s like to be in shock?

The scene played over in his mind, his own psyche trying to make sense of everything. Moments -time- seemed nonexistent. His whole body was numb, yet he was keenly aware as Goku’s weight shifted against him.

He remembered the flash of light before his eyes, his body stunned into stillness, his mind accepting death. Then, Kakarot’s arms were around him, sheltering him, holding him. Now he’s the one who’s holding him, and while Kakarot’s arms were around him still, his grip has slackened. Other than that, he isn’t moving.

All Vegeta could hear was his own heart thundering in his chest, but he couldn’t feel anything, and he couldn’t see anything beyond the other man’s shoulder and neck.

“Kakarot…?” he whispered, turning to try and face the man more fully. The name got caught in his throat. Goku’s body moved against his just slightly, sliding downward slowly, his chin now temporarily resting on his shoulder. Vegeta clung to him for dear life, trying to make sense of it all. He hardly realized that his own breath was coming in short, panicked bursts as realization began to hit him.

Goku groaned, and Vegeta perked up at the sound, clenching onto him from underneath his arms and grasping his shoulders as Goku’s body was threatening to drop to the ground.

The young Saiyan said, in a barely audible voice, “Once your bodyguard… Always… your bodyguard…”

The whisper was rough to Vegeta’s ear, and the Prince’s hands trembled trying to pull him back up. He tried to plant his feet and get a better grasp, but Goku leaned back and dared to try to smile at him. Vegeta saw his face and his glittering eyes as he fell from his Super Saiyan form, everything going back to black, and he clenched harder onto him in an attempt to keep him up, but he was too weak, and as Goku’s legs gave way, they both collapsed to the ground.

 _“Kakarot!_ ”

Goku’s whole body was shaking as he whispered, “Vegeta…” but then the movement stilled, and his eyes closed, and his head lulled to the side. He was still breathing, but just barely.

 _“KAKAROT!”_ Vegeta’s own body tremored uncontrollably as he held Kakarot’s head in the crook of his elbow with his good arm, forcing him to face him, although the other man’s body was limp, and he was unresponsive. 

He shook him slightly, disbelieving.

The guard stood back in awe and listened, and they got down on one knee out of respect for his sacrifice for their Prince. They presumed him to be dead. Vegeta still didn’t even know they were there, and he only had eyes and a heart and a mind for the fallen warrior in his arms.

 ** _“NO!_** Kakarot, please! _Wake up!”_ Vegeta wailed as he shook him again, using his free hand to move his bangs out of his eyes. Panic and pain struck him.

He fumbled to reach into his armor with his left hand, a jolt of pain shooting through his arms as he moved, but he refused to let Goku go with his right arm. His body quivered and argued and tried to disobey, still he managed, all the while telling Goku, “You can’t die, Kakarot. Listen to me,” he pulled out the bag, fingers trembling, as he was saying, “Bardock will kill me if you die! Your brother will surely kill me, Kakarot! Wake up!” he shook him again, Goku didn’t respond. He spilled the contents onto Goku’s chest. There was only one bean left. He was yelling at this point, but he didn’t care, saying, “I’ll kill myself if you die! Kakarot- I can’t live without you! I don’t want to live without you!” Tears streamed down his face.

He didn’t care.

He picked up the bean and chewed it up, then fed it to him, forcing it down his throat as his tears fell onto Goku’s face. “Wake up…” he whispered, swiping over Goku’s face. “I never told you that I love you,” he muttered, “I love you! Wake up!” The shaking in his body was uncontrollable, now, and he cried like he never had before.

The androids touched the ground a few meters away, and Vegeta realized they were still in grave danger, even without looking up to see them.

Shadows suddenly cast over he and Kakarot and Vegeta finally glanced around, gasping gently, and barely registering the vision before him through bleary eyes. He almost couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Several Saiyans now stood between him and Kakarot and their enemies, circling around them.

“What are you doing?” he asked them blankly, not even bothering to wipe his face, and still holding Goku’s body close to his chest.

One of them said, “We’re protecting you, our Prince. And our Captain.”

 _‘Captain…’_ Vegeta thought, _‘They’ve named him… their Captain…’_

“Precious,” one of the androids laughed, “But it won’t save you.”

“No…” Vegeta whispered. His mind ate away at him. _‘They shouldn’t be here. They shouldn’t be protecting me. I should be protecting them. I should have been protecting_ him _. They don’t deserve to die like this. Not for me.’_ His gaze turned to Kakarot, and he realized that all of his prior determination to remain distant and untouched by relationships with others had failed him after all.

“I’m tired of this emotional shit,” one of the androids tutted.

“Me, too. It’s pathetic. Are you all ready to die, now?” another nameless android spoke, and all eight of them raised their hands, gathering energy again.

The guards braced themselves.

“NO!” Vegeta’s voice finally broke through. His thoughts were interrupted as he realized that they were still in immediate danger, and all of his heavy considerations were left unfinished. He told the guard, “Get away all of you! Go, now! What do you think you are doing?!”

“No, your Highness…” One of them argued.

“We’re not going to leave you,” another promised.

Vegeta let go of Goku gently, setting his head down with care. He stood to his feet, stumbling a little in exhaustion, but enraged all the same, and he contended, “You fools! All of you! Get out while you still can! Let **_me_** fight them! Alone!”

The androids laughed. Another voice amongst the machines spoke, saying, “It’s too late! **He** was the only one powerful enough to challenge us! And now he is dead! Say goodbye, Saiyans!”

The guard flinched but remained where they were.

The androids launched their attack at once from nearly point-blank range.

Vegeta did the only think he could think of to do in that instant, and he used the last of his strength as he cried out in desperation. He created a barrier around himself, Kakarot, and the three brave guards who stood around them. He would block this blast from hitting them, even if his life force gave out trying.

“Where is it?! Where is his fucking lair, that crazy old bastard?!” Tarble screamed as he flew.

He was running out of time. He knew it. Something in his gut was telling him this is their only chance. He noticed the sky going back to its normal color, but he saw a blast go off in the distance. He increased his speed, his concern for his brother and the others now overwhelming.

 _‘There! Just up ahead!’_ he thought to himself as he saw it. The telltale markings of a battle were all around it, and Bulma’s helicopter was still lying crashed on the ground below. He landed on the small platform and pulled apart the rubble as fast as he could, but with every rock he moved another one fell down into its place.

“Damn you, Vegeta! I know you did this!” he cursed, accurately blaming his brother for blocking the entrance into the laboratory, as the adrenalin in his veins began pumping overtime.

The other two men who had followed landed behind him and cried, “Get out of the way, we’ll blast our way inside!”

“No!” he argued, still pulling down the debris, “You could destroy it! We have to climb our way inside!”

They hesitated, but understood, and began helping the Prince as best as they could. It was taking entirely too long.

They finally got to the door, and Tarble punched through it, then tore it down, running inside as quickly as he could.

“Where would he put it?! Where is it?!” His scouter blinked incessantly and then exploded, again, and his heart rate rose impossibly higher. The other two guards grew alarmed as their scouters did the same. Still, they looked around with him.

Tarble stopped in his tracks when he noticed there were large, coffin-like carriers all around them, and he stepped forward to peer inside one of them, frightened when he saw _more_ androids inside of the machines. They were hooked up to the mainframe. He noticed the large computer still operating, and he took a step back in dismay.

“I’ve found it!” One of the soldiers cried, holding up the object of their desire.

“Push the damn button!” The other commanded.

“NO!” Tarble cried, turning to them, but he had no time to explain. The Saiyan pushed the button. The last thing he saw before everything around them exploded was a large figure moving in on them.

The onslaught on Planet Vegeta was murder and chaos. The attack was failing. The armies of the Saiyans and their allies could do nothing to hurt these monstrous creations anymore. They were too worn out, and too few, now. Bodies were laying everywhere, some dead, some gravely wounded. The King was slain on the ground, hardly breathing, and Bardock knelt beside him, hardly any better off himself. They were out of senzus and out of time.

This is end for them, but he wouldn’t let his King die alone.

He stood up to avenge him, but what he saw from wobbly legs, he just couldn’t believe. As the swarm of androids was coming in to make their final attack, they began to disintegrate right before his very eyes. One by one, the androids exploded with an attack that seemed to come forth from inside their own bodies.

The warriors from both Planet Vegeta and from their alien allegiances cried out in victory.

Bardock collapsed onto the ground and passed out cold.

An explosion hit the men surrounding their Prince and their Captain unlike they’d ever seen before, but it wasn’t that of a ki-blast. Vegeta’s efforts to protect them gave out a second later and he fell onto the ground, spent and unconscious. He has used the last bit of strength he’d retained from swallowing a little bit of the senzu bean to hold off from the android’s final attack, but he now had nothing left to give.

The Saiyans stood to their feet from where they had all bent down, giving way to their deaths, certain that it would all soon be over. They were in awe of the scene around them. The androids, all of them, were nothing but shredded pieces of flesh and machinery. Their ki-beams never hit, and their threat was no more.

A small, gentle voice spoke up from within their circle, “What… happened?”

The men turned to see Goku awake, but very groggy. His wounds were healed, and as he sat up, the whole guard cried out in praise.

“HAIL! HAIL PRINCE VEGETA! HAIL GOKU! HAIL! HAIL! HAIL!”

Goku turned to see the Prince and cried, “He needs a senzu bean! We have to get him to the Princess!”

“Prince Tarble… Prince Tarble, wake up!”

The Prince shakes his head as he feels himself being roused by two rough hands on his shoulders.

“What… what is it?” he asks, gruffly, rubbing his eyes with the butt of his palms.

“Prince Tarble, thank all that is good in this world! You’re awake!” he hears one of his men cry.

When he finally can see beyond a bleary haze, Raditz’s face is looking down on his.

“Commander?!” he asks, gripping the larger man’s arms, “What—but I thought you were still on the lookout?!”

Raditz smirked at him, “And miss all the action? I couldn’t let the three of you go out alone…”

The other Saiyan smiled sadly, “Yes, your Highness, Raditz saved us. I- I’m sorry I was so impatient… I should have listened to you.”

“You mean…?” Tarble asked, regaining his wits, “The androids?!” he turned and saw that they hadn’t gone far. Dr. Gero’s labs were destroyed. There was calm in the air. The sun was even shining upon them.

His men smiled at him, and answered, “The androids are no more, Sire.”

Tarble fought back his tears and commanded, wiping the emotion from his face, as he swiped his arm over it for good measure, “We must get back to the others at once! We must find my brother! Hurry! To the Lookout!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to split this up into two chapters but I thought that would be cruel, so I didn't.  
> I hope it made sense, too... it was... a lot..  
> Also, the chapter total is more of an estimate, but it might be accurate?   
> Stay tuned for *DRAMA*  
> Did I mention this story is driving me crazy?  
> Thanks for reading :)


	29. 29

Chapter 29

“They’ve done it. They’ve destroyed the machines… Just in time…” Kami smiled, and Mr. Popo rejoiced, along with everyone else on the lookout.

The people on the tower asked him what happened, exactly, but they didn’t look for themselves, and he didn’t give them an answer. Everything after the dragon seemed to happen so fast, and what could they do?

Bulma was relieved, but still beyond furious, and her fears and her upset started creeping through her, as much as she was trying to remain calm.

Kami continued to watch the scene play out below, and it was some time before he turned to Bulma and the others and said, “Goku is leading the rest of the men this way, along with Prince Vegeta, but he does not know that you all are up here. Perhaps one of you should go to them. Take them to Korin’s Tower down below if that’s not where he’s already going. I have a feeling it is. Korin will have some senzu beans for them, but without one of you helping, they won’t know where to find everyone else...” He turned back to look off the lookout once more and then said, “Ah, Prince Tarble and the others will be heading this way shortly, as well.”

Felia offered to go find Prince Vegeta and Goku and took off without another moment to spare, or an opportunity for anyone to stop her.

Bulma huffed, glaring after her as she left, and remarked, “I am not going to stand here and wait for them! There is still more to do, and I have to get back to my home! We need to contact Planet Vegeta and see what’s been going on there and explain the situation! They still don’t know what really happened here and I have a feeling I still need to clear the air on that! Not to mention something needs to be said to the people of _this_ planet! They probably still think a war is going on!”

The only three remaining women from her guard (aside from Felia) nodded and said that they would escort her and her family back home. The remaining four Saiyan men said that they would wait for Prince Tarble’s return, here. None of them had any working scouters anymore and since communication at this point was their main issue, they figured staying put would be the most appropriate thing to do. They promised they would bring Prince Tarble, Prince Vegeta, Goku, and the others to Capsule Corp. as soon as they were ready.

Bulma practically fumed at the mention of her husband and her husband’s _lover_.

“Oh, I almost forgot…” Kami turned to Chi Chi and she blushed under his gaze. “You will need to get some good rest,” he told her, “Today has been a lot for all of us, but I must tell you that Mr. Popo has informed me that you are pregnant, so be sure to take good care of yourself and see to it that you get something to eat soon…”

Chi Chi wavered and threated to pass out again, but one of the Princess’ guards caught onto her. They told her congratulations with sweet sincerity, to which Chi Chi burst into tears. Surprise was evident on everyone’s face, but no one said a word.

Bulma snapped, “Chi Chi! Oh, Chi Chi! Come with us! Let’s go! We’ll talk to _our men_ soon enough! It’s going to be okay! I promise!” but even as she said it, and threw her capsule out for her chopper, she was exasperated about _everything_ and she wasn’t sure she could handle this emotional day anymore, or any better, than Chi Chi was managing.

She felt terribly for the woman and she wanted _nothing_ to do with Vegeta _or_ Goku. When she does finally see them again, oh-ho boy is she going to give them a piece of her mind! She had a thing or two to say to the King, too, and damn it, she intended on speaking her peace.

She wasted no time. They needed to get going. She thanked Kami and Mr. Popo for all of their help and loaded up the aircraft with her family and Chi Chi, and then they left. The three women of her guard flew beside her at different corners, keeping a lookout. On her way down Bulma waved at Korin and Yajirobi, but she did not stop to speak with them, too furious to trust herself to be civil.

She’s never been so afraid and unsure and angry in all of her life! She trusted the women of her guard, for the most part, anyways, but the men from planet Vegeta she wasn’t so sure she could trust. Hell, she couldn’t trust her own damn husband! On top of that dilemma, she wasn’t so sure she could trust the humans right now, either. For all she knew, they thought the Saiyans attacking the planet was her fault, too! She was on high alert, and nothing but clearing her name and telling Vegeta off was going to make it any better.

She regretted the day she ever met Vegeta, and the day she married him even more. She should have known that complications would arise! Of course, she could have never seen anything like this coming, but still, it was difficult to tell where her mind and her heart should be right now!

That man has made her an enemy of her own people! He’s cheated on her! He’s left her to take care of _their_ son, all by herself!

Then there’s _Goku_! Sweet, innocent Goku! That _bastard_! Cheating on Chi Chi, lying to her! Lying to them _both_!

Who else knew about the damn affair?! Who?! _Tarble_ didn’t seem surprised! Neither did _Felia_!

GAH! It was all too much for her to handle right now and she was nowhere near done processing it. She kept telling herself to worry about first things first, and to be grateful that everyone is no longer in any true danger, but her nerves are shot, and her flaring temper is unmatched, and still so much has to be done.

Damn Goku and Vegeta both!

Unfortunately, her problems were a lot bigger than she had initially thought. A lot bigger.

Once she pulled up closer to her city, she saw that it had been practically demolished. People every where were crying and screaming and running about like they’d lost their minds. They were looting and rioting and fighting and the scene scattered Bulma’s brain from thoughts about herself, to considerations for how much distress has been put upon the planet worldwide.

And they all surely blame her. She grits her teeth as that thought passed through her mind once again, but she gasped when she flew in closer and saw that her home was destroyed.

“Oh, dear,” she heard her mother saying.

“My goodness!” Dr. Briefs cried, “You’d think by the looks of it they attacked our home on purpose!”

“Yeah, Dad,” Bulma frowned, “I’m sure they did.”

Chi Chi apologized to Bulma for her loss, but she could do nothing else at the moment, and though she tried to stop herself, she couldn’t help but begin to cry all over again.

The Princess’ guard was just as upset by the scene before them as the rest of them were, and their hearts went out to the women and men who’ve lost their lives! And to their homes on Planet Vegeta, as well! Who knows how many casualties are there?! Those monsters tried to take everything from them!

Once Bulma touched down in front of her home, several humans came running up to her and her family, yelling, screaming, crying out for revenge. They cursed her, and spat at her, and said they were glad her home was destroyed. They cowered in front of her guards though, and wouldn’t get too close, but they cursed them, too, and said they would never trust a Saiyan again.

Bulma’s mind was fried by this point, she didn’t know what else to do. She looked at the wreckage, picking up some of the rubble and throwing it into the remaining bits of the hardly standing home in an outburst of anger she just couldn’t help. She stowed away her tears for another time and tried to think.

There was no way they could get inside at this point. There was probably no passage through even if they did, and even if Raditz turned on the protection barriers to the labs like he said he did, there was certainly no guarantee that everything was still intact.

Her lip quivered as she bit back another set of tears that threatened to escape.

One of the guards turned to her and said, “Your Highness, I believe you should go. Livona, go with her. You all find a place you can stay for the next few days. Get away from all of this. We’ll do what we can to recover this building and get inside. If we can make it to the labs, we’ll contact you.”

Bulma sighed but nodded, she had no choice. An angry mob was coming towards them, and she still had a baby to look after. She and the others climbed back into the hover car, with Livona still flying outside of it to keep a watch on any danger, and they flew off.

The other two women flared their ki at the onlookers, scaring them off, and then they went to work about the house, trying to pick up and destroy what debris they could, clearing out the property of unnecessary rubble, before trying to get inside the house itself and assess the damage there, and hopefully, create a pathway to the laboratory.

Felia had caught up to the others, spotting them quickly. She was distraught to see Prince Vegeta out cold but pleased when Goku said they were heading to Korin’s tower. She nodded and told them that she would take them to the others once the Prince was revived but she didn’t say anything else. Their need was dire, and they flew with intention. Once they arrived, Goku went straight into Korin’s tower, carrying Vegeta’s listless body. The others landed behind them, and the three who had never been there looked around curiously.

The cat-man jumped at the sight of him but Yajirobi stepped up and cried, “Hey! What are you doing back here?! And who are you?” He eyed the new characters suspiciously.

Goku acknowledged Yajirobi with the flick of his eyes, but his attention turned to Korin directly and he said, “We need another senzu for him. Please.”

Korin nodded and retrieved one for him quickly, giving it to the young man after he set Vegeta down on the ground gently.

“Hey?!” Yajirobi asks, fumbling with his words, “Is-Is it all over? You never answered my question!”

Goku’s focus was on Vegeta, though, and as he kneeled over him, he whispered softly, “Your Highness…” He shook him a little, grasping Vegeta’s cheek to turn his face toward him. “Here, eat this…” he pleaded, placing the bean at Vegeta’s parted lips, and hoping he would hear him.

Vegeta hardly stirred, but he awoke enough to realize something was touching his lips, pressing something into his mouth, and he bit down on the bean instinctually, chewing it for a second before swallowing it completely. After another few moments, his eyes flew open, and when they fell upon Goku, he sat up and reached out for him, grasping him by what was left of his shirt and his armor. Elation washed over him as he took in the other man’s handsome, shining face. Goku smiled down at him.

“Kakarot!” Vegeta cried, but one quick glance over Goku’s shoulder and he saw the other men, and Felia, and he immediately recoiled back into himself. He gulped anything else he might have said back down his throat as his heart beat wildly in his chest and he contemplated many things, emotions washing over his face he was trying desperately to hide as he looked over Goku’s smiling features. Damn it, he wanted nothing more than to kiss him and tell him how much he cares for him!

But he couldn’t.

He stood up quickly, rattled by his own emotions, and Goku followed suit, watching him closely as Vegeta turned away from him and took a step to put some distance between them.

The separation Vegeta added between them burned at Goku’s soul.

Vegeta dusted himself off, looking himself over. His face burning, his mind whirring, his hands shaking.

There were a million things to say but he just _couldn’t_. He glanced up at the cat man, Korin, and then noticed Yajirobi.

The fat man asked, again, “What happened out there? Are the androids dead?”

Vegeta took a steadying breath and licked his lips, feeling completely exposed. Those men heard what he said to Kakarot! They must have! He couldn’t save face with them! He couldn’t deny it! They _knew_! But Kakarot didn’t, and that was enough to steady his heart rate at least a little bit. He continued to avoid Kakarot’s gaze and said to Korin, gruffly, “Where are the others who were here when we left?!”

“My Liege,” Felia spoke, alerting him to her, “We had to leave here and go to Kami’s Lookout, it’s just above this place. Prince Tarble and the rest of our people should be there, still.”

Vegeta turned to her, skipping over Goku entirely, unable to bring himself to face him, the man who had saved his life, and he said to Felia, “Take us there at once!”

Felia nodded and turned to leave. The three soldiers and Vegeta followed her. Goku tried to ignore his aching heart as the Prince walked right passed him, and he didn’t bother looking at him, just as the Prince made it clear he wasn’t going to give him any attention in return.

“Hey!” Yajirobi cried angrily.

Goku turned to the Earthling as the others were taking off and said, “Thank you, for all your help. It’s over. We couldn’t have done it without you,” and he nodded at them both respectfully, before jumping out of the building and following the rest of his people to wherever Felia was leading them.

Once they arrived, Goku and Vegeta saw that Raditz, Prince Tarble, and four fighters from Planet Vegeta were the only ones there to greet them. Upon looking further past them, they noticed two other beings whom they’ve never met before, but neither Goku nor Vegeta had the time to consider them.

“Brother!” Tarble yelled, running up to him. He didn’t care about protocol at the moment, and he dared to wrap his arms around his elder sibling and he held him tight for the full second that Vegeta would allow it, before Vegeta put his hand on Tarble’s shoulder, and pushed him away, but squeezed it alerting him that everything was fine. His face, however, conveyed to Tarble that Vegeta was everything _but_ fine.

Raditz ran up to Goku and wrapped him in a bear hug, to which Goku cried out laughingly for him to let go of him. He did, but he wrapped his arm around his head and scuffled up his hair with his other hand for old time’s sakes. Goku could only laugh as he pushed him away, but he was, of course, happy to see him.

The remaining Saiyans smiled and cheered and they bowed low, taking a knee before Prince Vegeta and Prince Tarble, exclaiming their praise and pledging their loyalty. Raditz let go of his brother and bowed as well.

Goku took a knee to his royalty, joining the others, but unable to help himself, he stood back up quickly and asked, to no one in particular, “What happened…?”

Prince Tarble smirked at Goku and remarked, “There is much to say on the story!”

One of the men who’d witness Goku on the battlefield interrupted him, though, and declared, “If I may say something, your Highness?”

Tarble nodded at him. Vegeta’s eyes widened.

The man, as well as the other two who had been with him, turned to Goku and said, “It isn’t official on our home planet, yet, but we’ve decided to name you a Captain of the Saiyan Army. We’re certain our nomination, as well as your actions on the battleground today, will be enough to secure you of that title.”

Goku’s jaw dropped in surprise, and, unbeknownst to him, Vegeta watched him with surprisingly tender eyes, as the men bowed to him and pledged their devotion.

Raditz couldn’t even pretend surprise. He is a Super Saiyan, after all, so he bowed as well, and paid his brother his due respects. Felia, and the other four Saiyan soldiers, followed their lead voluntarily. The men didn’t bother to explain what he did, exactly, that recommended him so highly, but everyone else assumed their judgment to be righteous. They’d find out more of the story soon enough.

Goku was speechless but Tarble grinned while eyeing his brother, who was trying desperately to remain unmoved and aloof, and failing miserably. The younger Prince declared, chuckling, as the rest of their people stood back up, “Captain Goku! I like it! I don’t know why you’re so surprised!” He glanced at Vegeta again, who looked away this time, his face now mostly void of emotion. An impressive feat, given how unnerved Vegeta truly must be feeling. Tarble added, turning again to Goku and speaking delicately due to his brother’s temperamental disposition, “It’s because of your efforts that we were able to find a way to destroy those machines! You _did_ find the Dragon balls!” At this Vegeta’s head snapped his way and he stared at him. Tarble’s smirked widened as he said, ignoring the imploring look his brother was giving him, “And if you and Prince Vegeta had not been able to hold them off for so long, we would have never stood a chance.” His smile faded as he thought of all the lives that have been lost.

Vegeta knew that look, and he remarked, in no mood to declare a victory just yet, and desperate to ignore anything that has to do with Kakarot, “Have you gotten a hold of Planet Vegeta, yet? Why are we still here?! We must get back to Capsule Corp.!” The Prince turned to leave, eager to run away.

Tarble barked back, “It’s not that simple!” stopping Vegeta in his tracks. “As I said, quite a story is to be told here!” With that he gave a mean smile to his older brother, explaining, “You don’t know the _half_ of the problems that have arisen since the two of you decided to take on the androids _all by yourselves_!”

Vegeta frowned and he felt his brow twitch as they knotted together further. The smirk on Tarble’s face told him that he did, indeed, know something that he did not. The smugness in such a sneer made Vegeta uneasy, and it wasn’t often that he felt that way. Then again, he’s been feeling _all sorts_ of different ways he isn’t used to feeling today.

Goku asked, simply, unaware of the silent conversation the brothers were currently having, “What do the Dragon balls have to do with any of this? Did you guys make a wish?”

Raditz grinned devilishly at his brother and said, “Oh yeah we did!” and then he punched him in the arm and yelled, “What the hell were you doing with those things, anyways?!”

Goku blushed and answered, “Nothing! Princess Bulma asked me to help her gather the rest of them, so I did!”

Everyone watched the exchange closely, but none more intently than Vegeta and Tarble.

“And then what, Goku?!” Raditz yelled, “You had the seventh ball hidden in your room! What were you going to do with it?!”

Goku replied, shrugging, “I guess I just thought that I’d give it to her when the time was right. Seemed like kind of a big deal to her, you know, so I wanted to make it special.”

“Is that so?!” Raditz huffed, crossing his arms, and glancing at Prince Tarble, clearly irritated, but much less tactful. Then he looked back at Goku, remembering the rest of what he’d learned from Felia and he asked, “Do you have anything _else_ you want to tell me?!”

Goku blushed.

“Enough, Commander!” Tarble growled, still trying to go about this situation delicately. “You asked if we made a wish, _Captain_ Goku. We did. I’ll tell you what happened…” He explained about how he had asked the great dragon, Shenron if the androids could be turned into humans, and how the creature had told them it was an impossibility, and then he elaborated on how they came about learning how to destroy them, and how they finally managed to do so, giving credit where credit was due to everyone involved, including Chi Chi, Bulma, Kami and Mr. Popo, Raditz, and the men who had followed him and found the detonator.

Then he turned to Vegeta and explained, “Unfortunately there’s more,” and he told them about how Raditz came to find the dragonballs, how Capsule Corp has been knocked down, and how, as of right now, they are trying to see if they can get into the labs at all. He also told him about how he managed to get a scouter and contact the others, and he even narrowed down the numbers of casualties. Only four women remained on the Princess guard. Twelve of them are dead, along with one of the men who travelled with him from Planet Vegeta in the first place.

At that Raditz chimed in and explained that one of the androids told him there were eighty machines in total, forty sent to Planet Vegeta, and forty unleashed here. The fighters all silenced at that thought.

Vegeta turned away from all of them and walked over to the ledge of the island, uncertain of many things. Tarble was still hiding something from him, he could feel it, but he wanted to know if it were true, if he could really see everything going on down below from here.

His brother’s tiptoeing carefully around certain things now, isn’t he? Sparing his feelings from something. Toying with him about something he knows, hinting at it, but not wholly coming forth with the information. But what could it be that he would feel the need to speak so cautiously?

He peered over the edge of the island. His quick intake of breath was inaudible as his thoughts were answered, and as he looked down on the Earth, he saw the tatters the planet was in and it stirred anger and frustration within him.

He was still here when he should be at home. He had no way of getting home unless they could get into Bulma’s labs. They still didn’t know how his people were fairing, or who was even alive anymore, and who knows when they’ll be able to find out? He didn’t know where his wife and his child were, or how to find them, other than to attempt to seek them out personally, or even like this, and that search seemed endless. To top that off, the humans are probably all angry at the Saiyans right now! At _him!_

Tarble said that they could see them fighting! What else did they see?!

No… they couldn’t have seen them in their more _intimate_ moments…

_They know, don’t they?!_

How many of them know, now, just how in love with Kakarot he actually is?! And that Kakarot is a Super Saiyan and he is not?! That he has cheated on his wife?! And that he was utterly unable to do _anything_ to save _any_ of them?!

They know, now, just how much of a failure he is— As a husband! As a father! As a _Prince_!

He can’t even behave right towards the one person he owes his respect to more than anyone else!

And that one man is the _only_ one he wants to talk to right now, and he’s standing only a few feet away, but there are too many people around and too much going through his mind to find the right words to say to him.

How the hell is he going to make this right?!

How the hell did it go so wrong?!

Kami came forwards and finally spoke for the first time since they’d gotten there, surprising Vegeta out of his thoughts. The green man looked at Tarble and said, “You haven’t told them everything, young Prince.” Tarble’s eyes narrowed at the man, but Kami seemed to understand. He simply said, “And, for as much as I respect you all, and I am grateful to you, I’m sorry, but you cannot stay here for much longer. You must go and set things right.”

Tarble nodded at him in mutual understanding and turned to Vegeta, but he hesitated to speak. He didn’t want to bring up his marital problems in front of this crowd and he didn’t want to be the one to break the news to Goku about his child-to-be.

Felia remarked, knowing Tarble’s struggle, for she, too, did not want to have those conversation. She said, “Perhaps we _should_ go. Now. We could try to help the others uncover the labs in Capsule Corp. That’s the most pressing matter. Besides, the women of the Princess’ Guard have their communicators on their arms, still. We can get ahold of Princess Bulma that way, and figure out what to do from there…”

Tarble agreed to this, while Vegeta said nothing. The rest of them went along with Tarble as the Prince thanked Kami and Mr. Popo and they all headed out.

They flew in silence, and Goku tried his best not to obsess over wanting to talk to Vegeta, and not to be so disappointed that the Prince hadn’t made a big deal about wanting to speak with him. He didn’t know what he wanted to say to him anyways, and he thought briefly about Chi Chi and Bulma, but he figured since Tarble didn’t say otherwise, that they were fine. The rest of his thoughts went towards the women of the guard he’s spent so much time with. It hurt him to know they’d lost their lives. He considered their families.

He felt like he was back in the army again. Hell, he _is technically_ back in the army! He’d have to write letters to the women’s homes about what happened here, and how wonderful they all were. He hated that part but respected it all the same.

He thought about the Earth and the situation before them. What a mess Dr. Gero brought upon them all! What an absolute disaster!

He thought about his father, his dear father! How he longs to see him! To hear his voice! To soak in his wisdom!

He thought about his friends back home, all of them, and Planet Vegeta itself.

Seeing the devastation marked on the land below them as they came closer, Goku’s heart broke, and he realized that this is so much bigger than his own problems, and he came to understand that Vegeta, like himself, was dying to know what was going on back home, and that their “situation” simply isn’t as important. Especially not to his Prince… The soon-to-be King…

When the party lands in front of Capsule Corp., there are news trucks standing outside the front of the building and a crowd of people roaring in the streets. Nothing was being done to repair the city or rebuild the human’s homes. They probably still think a war is going on, and they scream at the Saiyans as they land.

Vegeta and Tarble ignore them, and they notice, gratefully, that there is a pathway leading inside of the building. They waste no time hurrying inside. Running through the makeshift pathway, their sense of direction becomes disoriented every time a random hallway opens up. They have to rely on their sense of smell, and the further they go, they begin to hear things being moved around. Vegeta takes off double the speed in the direction of the noise. Everyone follows.

“Your Highnesses!” the women cry, bowing as they see them approaching and clearly in good spirits, “We are close to the labs, now! They’re just ahead!”

“Felia! How good to see you!”

Felia smiled at them, feeling much the same, and the men tell the woman to stand down, and they take over the task. The women fawn over the Princes, declaring with pride their gratefulness and their adoration. Tarble thanks them meekly, but Vegeta ignores them and looks around, trying to make sense of where they are. He can tell the women are right, they are close to the labs, but he didn’t care about their praise. He’s much more interested in getting inside.

Getting away.

Then he hears one of the women telling Bulma through their communicator that he and Goku have arrived with Tarble and everyone else and that they’re close to getting to the labs.

A second later, Bulma’s voice booms over the speaker: “OH YEAH?! HE FINALLY DECIDED TO **SHOW UP**?! TELL HIM TO GET THE FUCK INTO THE LABORATORY AND GET THE FUCK OFF THE PLANET! I DON’T WANT TO SEE HIM _OR_ GOKU\- DO YOU HEAR ME?!”

The men stop working for a second and turn back to listen. Raditz quickly hands the device Felia let him borrow back to her, having forgot that he had it on him. He certainly didn’t want anything to do with _this._

Stunned, Vegeta’s questioning, albeit guilty face turns to meet with Tarble’s knowing gaze. He can’t help but catch Felia’s equally telling, although averted, eyes as well. He avoids glancing at Goku, who’s looking just as shocked and meekly embarrassed.

The women of the guard stand completely still and say nothing.

Vegeta’s thoughts won’t stop as he considers the implications of such a statement from his wife. She knows about him and Kakarot. There’s no other explanation. He didn’t even _think about_ his _wife_ knowing about the situation. _That’s what Tarble was hiding, wasn’t it?_

“Y-your Highness,” the guard blushes furiously, finally replying to her nervously, “S-surely you don’t mean that…?” she dares.

“CAN **HE** HEAR ME?!” Bulma screams, “VEGETA!! YOU **CHEATING** BASTARD! HOW LONG HAVE YOU AND _GOKU_ BEEN A THING, HUH?! WHAT A FANTASTIC PROBLEM TO ADD TO ALL THE OTHER PROBLEMS YOU’VE BROUGHT INTO MY LIFE! DID YOU KNOW THAT THE WHOLE _PLANET_ THINKS THIS IS _MY_ FAULT! I’VE GOT PEOPLE EVERYWHERE TRYING TO FIND OUT WHERE I AM! IT’S ALL OVER THE NEWS! FUCK YOU! FUCK YOU AND GOKU BOTH! OH! AND **GOKU**! CHI CHI IS _PREGNANT_! ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE HER ALONE TO RAISE A CHILD ALL BY HERSELF, TOO?! YOU SELFISH ASSHOLE! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU BOTH! AND HOW DARE YOU HIDE THE FACT THAT YOU FOUND THE LAST DRAGON BALL FROM ME, GOKU! WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO DO?! GIVE THEM TO **VEGETA**?! I CAN’T BELIEVE I TRUSTED YOU! BOTH OF YOU!”

Goku’s heart skips a beat.

Voices can be heard trying to calm Bulma down from the other end of the line, but she’s not having it.

The uninvolved group listening to the Princess becomes rattled and they try to hide their faces.

“ _NO_ , I WILL _NOT_ CALM DOWN!” Bulma contends, even as Trunks can be heard crying in the background, but her voice does waver and quiet down a bit even though it does not lessen in it’s terrifying tone as she adds, “You’re going to make this _right_ , Vegeta! You’re going to help me FIX EVERYTHING! You OWE IT TO ME! YOU PROMISED ME! DO YOU HEAR ME?!”

“Turn that damn thing off!” Tarble finally cries, and then, turning to the men, he yells, “Get back to work! For the love of night! We must find out the status of Planet Vegeta! NOW!”

The women nod and turn off communication at once and the men jump back into action. Everyone is embarrassed for the two men, who both stand awkwardly paces away from one another, wrapped up in their own thoughts, and refusing to meet anyone’s gaze. Luckily for them, no one was willing to look their direction for fear of making things worse, and the women join the men to try and quicken getting through to the labs. The silence screams around them.

Raditz, who’s been watching his brother process everything, finally mutters, “Hey… Little brother… Goku… uhh…” but he couldn’t find the words.

Goku licks his lips, but turns away, unwilling to speak.

Tarble turns to both Goku and Vegeta and says, as gently as he can, “Listen, you don’t need to think about these troubling matters right now… Right now, we simply need to get back home… Goku… you should go, too.”

Vegeta awaits Goku’s reply anxiously, hardly breathing, and not even bothering to contemplate his own response to Tarble’s suggestion. He still, somehow, can’t manage to bring himself to look at the other man.

The seconds that pass feel like hours. Suddenly, one of the women declares they’ve made it to the entrance, and the final pieces are torn down, revealing a door, locked by some kind of code.

Vegeta strides up to the door with as much effort to look unbothered as he can possibly muster and he types in the codes for the forcefield, before entering in the ones to unlock the security system. They hear a click, and the Prince opens the doors and goes through. Everyone follows but the intensity in the air doesn’t lessen.

To the good of some of their relief, the pods that the younger Prince and the rest of the men travelled in were all there, and everything in the lab was in perfect condition.

Everyone stood by and awaited orders as Tarble and Vegeta made their way over to the computer. Vegeta logged in using Bulma’s access information and Tarble sat down in the Princess’ chair to figure out how to get in contact with Planet Vegeta.

Vegeta walked over to the pods and opened them up, one by one, turning them on, and checking to see that they were still in working condition before he turned to Tarble.

“Well?” he asked gruffly, “Can you figure out how to contact them?”

“Yes,” Tarble nodded, “But…”

“What?!” Vegeta snapped.

Tarble swallowed hard, he’s been avoiding the most important topics of discussion all day because of the presence of others. He hated doing that. He knew Vegeta hated it, too. He didn’t want to send anyone out of the room, though. They’ve all been through so much. He knew that when they returned home, things were going to change again. People’s ranks and statuses were going to be reevaluated, and he figured that telling the truth wouldn’t hurt anyone here anymore than treating any of them without the respect that they deserve.

He also knew that the most private matter between them was now out in the open, and he wasn’t one for ignoring… what is it the Earthling’s say? The pink elephant in the room?

So, instead of sending them away so he could speak to Vegeta in private, he simply voiced his thoughts aloud, and explained, “Princess Bulma does have a point about what she mentioned… about the humans… Someone will have to stay here to watch over her.” He spun in the chair and looked at the women, saying, “Of course, I know you all want to go home, but you simply can’t right now. I will try to make it up to you, but she needs your protection now more than ever.” He looked back at Vegeta, “And I think it might take me a little while longer than _you_ might like to get a hold of our Planet. Perhaps you should just go, now. But… I think I’m going to stay, at least for a few weeks…”

“Tarble,” Vegeta growled.

Tarble shook his head, and offered sensibly, “She _needs_ _help_ delegating the situation! She can’t do it on her own! And if we _all_ leave it will look bad on our part! She’s right! We have to make an announcement to the planet! We have to at least _try_ to save face! And it’s nothing to feel guilty about! We didn’t do this! So just leave, now! I’ll do what I can to take care of things on our end. By the time you get there, I will have contacted our people and they will tell you how you can contact me! It makes the most sense! Besides...” he wavered, “There are only ten pods, and eleven of us men. One of us _has_ to stay behind…”

Vegeta frowns.

Tarble reassures him, “Anyways… It’s not _me_ she’s angry at, right now…”

Vegeta frowned and looked away. His voice could hardly be heard, but finally, a small, “Fine,” come forth from his lips, and he stepped over, heading to one of the pods.

“Brother…” Tarble said, standing up, but he didn’t want to fight with him, so he simply asked, as nonconfrontationally as he could, “Don’t you think you should at least take that thing outside before you leave in it? We don’t want to lose communication with our home _again_.”

“What the hell do you think I’m doing, Tarble?” He replied coldly, and then he held out his hand, pointed slightly upwards, and blew a hole straight through the room all the way to the outside.

Light leaked its way inside, and Tarble sighed heavily at his display. Honestly, though, he was impressed with how calm his brother was behaving. He was expecting him to snap at any moment, but truly, he was holding it together quite well.

Vegeta called over his shoulder to the other men, and, without specifying anyone in general, or looking at any of them, he said, “Grab one and take it outside, and leave as soon as you are able. Go. _Now_.”

Each of them did as he said, one by one, including Goku and Raditz, leaving only Vegeta alone with Tarble and the women.

Tarble turned to the women and said, “Go and see what else you can find in the house- food, clothing- anything useful for Bulma, her parents, and the baby. Meet me back here in an hour at the latest. Let Princess Bulma know of the plans for now. If she can help me contact our home that would be useful, otherwise I don’t want to know what she has to say.”

The women bowed and left.

There was silence between the two brothers for some time. Ultimately, when Tarble opened his mouth to speak, Vegeta turned away from him. Tarble hated the awkward quiet that fell between them. He opened his mouth but was interrupted.

“Don’t,” Vegeta sneered, arguing against him before a conversation could even begin.

“Vegeta…”

The elder Prince ignored him and walked over to the last pod, running his hand along the top of it, contemplating his escape. He didn’t want to head up there just yet though. He wanted to give everyone else a chance to leave first, especially Kakarot.

Tarble asked him, anyways, disregarding his silence, “Aren’t you going to say goodbye? Or are you just going to take your frustrations out on me?”

Vegeta lifted his chin and replied, “Don’t you dare play that manipulative shit with me, right now, okay? You know damn well I have a world of judgement on me, _two_ worlds, actually, and I don’t have time for your games!”

“Vegeta…”

Vegeta turned his back to him and said, “Just… I’ll let you know when I get there…” and he picked up the pod and headed out, taking his time.

On the other side of the building, Goku and Raditz were the only ones still there. The rest of the men had left already and Raditz was trying his best to think of something to say to Goku before climbing into his pod to go, but damn it, nothing was coming to mind. He watched as his little brother looked at the machine with a blank expression he wasn’t used to seeing.

Raditz finally thought of something to say, except, it probably wasn’t the most appropriate time, but he didn’t want to leave in silence. He came out with it, forcing a small laugh as he told him, “Congratulations… on becoming a father, I mean,” he stumbled over his words as Goku looked down and didn’t reply. Raditz exclaimed, suddenly able to throw out everything that was on his mind, even though he hadn’t intended to, “Oh man, I-I think that sounded sarcastic, but I didn’t mean it that way. Really. Why didn’t you tell me you were engaged… and what the hell is going on with you and Prince Vegeta? I thought…” he trailed off at the way Goku was hiding his face behind his bangs.

Goku couldn’t speak at first, but he blinked back the pressure building inside of him and eventually looked up at his brother. He smiled a little, and replied, “Tell our father I said hi and that I’ll be home, at some point, but I’m not going back right now…”

“Goku!?” Raditz squeaked, noting the seriousness in his younger sibling’s eyes. He tried to reason with him, “Didn’t you hear what Princess Bulma said?! She doesn’t want to see you right now! Come home! At least for a little while!”

Goku shook his head resolutely, and answered, “No, Rad. I can’t just run away. The war is over, right? I want to go, I really do, but I can’t. Not yet. It wouldn’t be right.” He then nodded, as though agreeing with himself, and added, “Let me know how things are going back home, and I’ll come back when I can. You have to go. They need you.”

Raditz looked him over and realized that he isn’t going to change his mind. He also realized his little brother isn’t so little anymore. He nodded firmly and told him, “I understand,” and he reached out and squeezed his shoulder one good time. He offered, “If things… don’t work out… you can always come back home. You’ll always have a place on Planet Vegeta, you know…”

“Thanks, Raditz,” Goku forced a smile.

Raditz hated this for them both, but he nodded and climbed into his pod. As it was closing, he told him, “I’ll contact you.”

Goku only nodded in return and jumped back as he watched his brother’s pod take off. That was probably the first time in his life that Raditz didn’t push him for answers. He was grateful; he didn’t have any.

Brief moments alone passed quickly after Raditz’s departure. At least, that’s how it felt. Goku couldn’t seem to get a grip on what he was thinking, or what he should be thinking, or what he should be doing, but the voice that interrupted his thoughts was all-too familiar, and all-too welcome, but all-too small to belong to the man speaking.

“Kakarot…”

Goku turned to Vegeta, meeting his eyes for what felt like the first time in years. He was still wearing his battle worn clothes. They both were. Goku thought, for an instant, how happy he was just to see him standing there. The look in his eyes, though, was wholly unfamiliar and it made Goku nervous.

“Why are you still here?” Vegeta said to him.

Goku’s mouth was dry, and he was sure he was looking at him in a strange way, too, but for once he didn’t care. He didn’t care about pretending anymore, and he didn’t want to ever again. He didn’t know what to say to his question, and he so waited for another one. He couldn’t help but wonder if that’s all Vegeta has to say to him, after everything that’s happened. The situation, at best, is awkward, and it’s only made worse by the fact that neither man knows where they stand with the other. Goku was tired of it, but it wasn’t entirely Vegeta’s fault, and now he has a lot more on his mind than _just_ Vegeta for once, and he wasn’t so sure he _wanted_ to know what Vegeta was thinking, but he definitely wanted him to at least feel comfortable sharing _something_ meaningful. Especially right now. They owed that much to each other. Then again, Goku’s not exactly being forthcoming about his plans. He didn’t really _have_ a _plan_.

Vegeta had already set his pod down, turned it on, and initiated the startup sequence before he ever spoke to him. Now, slowly coming forward, even if only by a few steps, he said, “I have to go back… I thought you would want to as well,” he looked away, no doubt noticing that Goku’s pod was still closed and off, before turning his fiery gaze back upon him, adding, “You said you were going to…”

Goku sighed and turned to face him more fully as he explained, “I did, but that was before… when we thought we would have to help them fight off the androids.”

Vegeta stepped closer still, his hands trembling at his sides, and he held them in clenched fists, and he tried to fight off his apprehension. He was close to Goku now, so close he could reach out and touch him if he dared. He said, desperate to convince him to leave with him, although he didn’t know why, “They _do_ need our help, Kakarot…”

Vegeta felt like an idiot speaking to him. Here he is, avoiding the true discussion they need to be having. _Again._ How foolish is he? Why did he want him to leave with him so badly? So that he could be with him back on their home planet? Away from all of this? Like somehow that would make a difference?! It won’t change their problems. Having him back home with him won’t solve _anything_. He’ll still be off limits there just as much as he is here, if not more so. He’ll still be… _untouchable_ , in so many ways. He’s technically still engaged… with a baby on the way… Vegeta couldn’t help but see the maddening irony.

Goku replied, after thinking it over, “I know you’re right, and I wish I could go… but I- I can’t just leave, Vegeta. You _know_ why…”

In a thousand lifetimes Vegeta knew he wouldn’t have been able to figure out what to say to him in this moment. He wanted so badly to just kiss him, to just hold him, to just _talk_ for _once_ in their _pathetic excuse for an estranged relationship!_ But he didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know how to tell him that he loves him. He didn’t know how to thank him. He didn’t know _how_ to just _hug_ him for the sake of being _close_ to him. He didn’t know how to fix this.

Goku sighed again, figuring that Vegeta’s silence was the best he was going to get, and he huffed and said his name, frustrated by everything, “Vegeta…”

“Shut up!” Vegeta snapped, “Shut! UP!”

The Prince was looking at him, again, in a way he couldn’t describe, and it made Goku want to reach out and tilt his chin up and tell him that everything was going to be okay, but he didn’t know if that were really true. He felt insecure, as insecure as Vegeta, for once, looked.

Goku frowned, stumped by Vegeta’s rude outburst, followed by his everlasting silence. He resisted the urge to touch him as he told him, “I’m sorry…” genuinely. He thought about all the ways he could try to get the man to speak his mind, like he did that one time, so long ago, when he told him he has feelings for him.

Vegeta still has those feelings for him, doesn’t he? Goku sure does, but he couldn’t be sure about the Prince. Was he just using him, still? Does any of that even matter anymore? He couldn’t blame him. Goku turned around and did the exact same thing. Now they’re both in limbo and they both have completely separate responsibilities that can’t be ignored. Goku just wanted some answers, real ones, but Vegeta was standing there looking like a bomb waiting to go off and Goku was sure he was going to be the fuse that did it.

The dam holding Vegeta’s emotions back broke as he heard him say he was sorry. It was the breaking point. As much as he tried to hold it all in, he couldn’t.

 _‘Him_. **_Apologize!_** _’_ Vegeta thought, trying to rationalize, decode, and compartmentalize. It wasn’t working. Just as Goku opened his mouth to speak again, Vegeta blurted out, not wanting to hear another word, his emotions brimming, “Damn you, Kakarot!”

Goku flinched.

Vegeta yelled, “Can you not just stand there and look at me like that?! Like I’m some kind of broken-down _thing_ that needs fixing! Like I’m too fucking pathetic to be considered as part of your troubles! You think I don’t know how fucked up everything is?! You think I don’t know that it’s all my fault?! You think I don’t know that _you_ were the one that saved us?! I’m well aware of what happened! And my part in it! If I had gone back like I wanted to this would never have happened! If I hadn’t listened to you! We might all very well be dead! Damn it! Do you think I’m in denial or something?! Like every one of you can see something that I can’t?! You think I don’t know that I owe you my life!” and he threw his arms around his neck and let out a shuddered breath.

It was reflexive instinct, when Goku wrapped his arms around Vegeta’s trim waist and held him close. His shock at the outburst and the processing of Vegeta’s words should have made him less reactive. Taking in the Prince’s scent, though, basking in this rare moment, that was choice. He nuzzled his face into the crook of Vegeta’s neck, his nose in his hair, as his hands gripped tighter. His heart thundered. He both loved it and hated it when Vegeta yelled at him, no matter what he was going on about, but this, this was what he wanted, and he would take it however Vegeta decided to give it to him. He squeezed tighter. Still processing.

Is Vegeta… shivering?

Goku wasn’t given a chance to confirm it, or even respond beyond that brief embrace as the Prince pulled back quickly and pushed himself away, forcing Goku’s hold on his body to give out. Goku looked at him questioningly, but Vegeta’s withdrawn attitude was evident.

Terrified of himself, and keeping Goku at arm’s length for good measure, Vegeta told him, in a wavering voice, “You saved my life… and I’ve ruined yours…”

“That’s not true…” Goku replied, but he questioned it all the same. Still, he reached out for him again, grasping onto his arm just beneath his elbow, but Vegeta recoiled and pulled away.

“I can excuse my own harmful actions when they affect nobody but myself, but this…? This is different. You’re different… Kakarot, I…” Vegeta suddenly jolted, “I have to go!” he exclaimed, rushing the words out. He turned and practically ran away.

Goku watched, speechless, as the Prince jumped into his pod and closed it as quickly as he could. Goku somehow knew that Vegeta was initiating the sleep cycle to avoid asking himself questions they both knew they desperately needed answers to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been updating super fast! Yay! I just get excited and want to move on, especially when I feel like certain chapters go together, but I'm not finished with anything after this and I'm trying NOT to rush it out...   
> Thank you all so much for all the love and all the hits, it's amazing! Critiques are always welcome, too! Goodness knows I have my own.  
> This site has been so refreshing for me, honestly. I have read so many works on here that I love- and found so many fantastic writers and creative stories! I'm glad Herpb4Uderp went to AFF and then I went to AO3 to stalk her! It's great that there's am actual "community" here. The last site that I was on died and it's sad to see that happen. I guess it just makes me happy to know that so many people still enjoy this fandom. I wonder what we'll all be doing twenty years from now, lol.  
> Anyways, as always, thanks for reading!


	30. 30

Chapter 30

Tarble was surprised when Goku joined him back in the labs, space pod in tow and all. He tried not to stare as the man set down the pod and then stood tall, a strange intensity evident on his youthful face. He didn’t know what to say to him, and it was clear there was a lot on his mind.

He couldn’t help but note that Goku looks more handsome than ever as of late, like his father, Bardock, and almost ruggedly so, despite his boyish charms. Especially right now, what with the damage done to his armor and the way his hair is messier than he’s ever seen it. Tarble looked away from the man, his mind turning to thoughts of Vegeta and the trouble those two men have caused. He wasn’t surprised by the fact that his insanely picky brother was so attracted to him, but he hoped for both of their sakes that there’s more to their relationship than that.

He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened up there that would cause Goku to stay here.

Goku walked closer to him, unaware of the Prince’s thoughts, and he bowed low. As he came back up, he told Tarble, “I’ve decided to stay. I hope that’s not a big deal. I’m happy to help out in any way I can, just let me know what I can do for you.”

Tarble stopped what he was doing and looked at him, amazed. Shy was never the right word to describe him, but nervous, maybe? Tarble wondered how he could still maintain such an innocent air of uncertainty after everything that’s happened! Is it still possible for a now _Legendary_ “Captain of the Saiyan Army” to feel such a way? Tarble wondered how long he’d been up there alone thinking to himself and what the hell type of conclusion he came to if that was all he had to say! The others left nearly an hour ago so he must have been up there alone for a good bit of it. He was expecting the women to return to him, soon, not _him_. Honestly, he didn’t know what to do with _him_.

As he looked him over, Tarble concluded that Goku is definitely _not_ like his brother, although he’d been suspecting for some time now that they had more in common than what meets the eye. He was curious about him, all the same, especially now, as he considered how Goku and Vegeta even got along, attraction to one another aside.

He didn’t waste much time in those thoughts, however, and he decided to toy with him a little and try to get some information out of him at the same time as he said, “Did you inform _Vegeta_ of that decision before he left?” He stressed the name of his brother without the title, wondering what Goku’s reaction might be.

Goku smiled softly, sensing, and even partially expecting Tarble’s teasing, he remarked, “He knows.”

Tarble smirked at him, eyes narrowing, and he replied, “I’m sure he wasn’t happy about it, now, was he?”

“No,” Goku said, shaking his head, “But, he understands…” At that Goku sighed and sat down in one of the empty chairs, exhaustion seeming to come over him. He placed his head in his hands for a moment before he lifted his soft but dark and pensive eyes back to Tarble. He asked, “Can I… speak freely?”

“By all means,” Tarble answered. He almost couldn’t believe that the man was about to open up to him, and without a pinch of goading! He found it refreshing.

Goku stared into the ground for a few moments before he finally told him, “I know this may sound stupid to you, and everybody else, but…” he sighed heavily, “I am still in love with him.”

Tarble tried his best not to respond verbally or otherwise although he was incredibly pleased to hear the man say that, despite having already suspected it to still be true. Perhaps they _do_ have a chance to reconcile _their_ relationship, if not the ones with their women.

Goku seems to be contemplating something deeply, and although Tarble wanted to urge him to continue, the last thing he wanted to do was interrupt his train of thought or forbiddingly cause him to close up. He doesn’t know Goku as well as he knows Vegeta and he _knows_ Vegeta won’t open up to hardly anyone.

“I hate this!” Goku suddenly added, gripping his knees as his brows furrowed in concentration, clearly still trying to sort out his predicament with himself. He rambled, “I know you told me to let it go,” he shook his head, “And believe me- It wasn’t on purpose- hurting Bulma and Chi Chi- Cheating! It all happened so fast after seeing him again. We didn’t plan it,” the man smiled a little, before he became more serious. He admitted, “I think I hurt him, somehow, and I didn’t mean to. He blames himself for everything, but he really shouldn’t.” He bowed his head. Tarble listened and watched curiously as Goku poorly explained himself, “I didn’t want him to go, just as much as _I_ _wanted_ to go, and he didn’t want to leave, I could tell. And if I had gone with him…” he shook his head, again, lifting it back up, and sighing, “but there’s so much going on here. I want to make things right, but I don’t want to be without _him._ I know I’m just being selfish, but...”

Tarble sniggered a little, involuntarily, and thought to himself, _‘Selfishness is a trait you both share, apparently, and you both absolutely_ suck _at communicating your emotions. Adorable.’_

Goku’s eyes glanced over towards him, his attention triggered by Tarble’s reaction, and a blush covered his cheeks as he looked at the Prince.

“Feel better?” Tarble asked, grinning. Goku looked perplexed, and the Prince chuckled, “I’m sure it’s a relief to not have to hide your feelings anymore, isn’t it? Sorting them out is quite another thing, but you’ll have to do _that_ on your own.”

Goku’s blush deepened.

Tarble’s smile widened, and he added, his curiosity getting the better of him, “I’m dying to know: What did you do that recommended you so highly to the others for them to call you their Captain- aside from turning into a Super Saiyan? Not that it isn’t enough…”

“I…” Goku stammered, “I guess it was because I jumped in front of a blast for Vegeta… I don’t remember anything after that.” He looked away again, his hands still gripping his knees, and he explained, “Vegeta said that I saved his life…” Goku smiled in reminiscence.

“Ah,” Tarble nodded, “I understand now!” The Prince turned back in his chair, satisfied with the conversation, and he resumed perusing through Bulma’s computer.

“Sire?” Goku replied meekly.

When Tarble glanced back over at him he could see that Goku wasn’t following. He rolled his eyes, still typing away, and answered, “Complete idiots- you and my brother both- so strong willed and powerful, intelligent,” he glanced at him again, “in different ways, of course, and yet, you’re both _reactive_ and _stubborn_. I guess that’s what one-tracked minds do; they invite trouble for the sake of a challenge or an accomplishment, and block out all the consequences.” He stopped what he was doing to gaze at him more fully, and Goku still looked like he wanted to hear more, so he told him, “Your impulsive decisions have finally caught up to you! And you have no one to blame but yourselves! You’ve messed up the good things you both had going with your women and who knows how that’s going to be mended? Or if it even will be! And you’ve managed to piss Vegeta off in the process, not that it’s hard to do, but getting him to talk about it is, and you and I both know that’s true.” Goku pouted at that last bit and seemed to be contemplating what he was saying, but he remained quiet. Tarble finally smirked at him and asked at his silence, “Well, it was worth it, wasn’t it?”

Goku smiled abruptly, without hesitation, and said, “Absolutely.”

“Good,” Tarble nodded, pleased with him, but he took a deep breath and ordered, refocusing their topic to the most important matters at hand, “Now enough of this emotional drama! I’m not a psychiatrist and I don’t know of one in the whole galaxy that can help you with my _brother_ , but since you’re here and you offered, there are some things that you can do for me. The sooner we can take care of business and leave this place, the better…”

Goku smiled lazily, at ease with his familiarly barked commands. He complied with a contagiously helpful demeanor as Tarble told him that he wanted him to help with clearing out the house while he continued to work on the communication system.

The women came back just as Goku was going out, and although they were surprised to see him, they weren’t disappointed in the least. They fawned at him as they passed, and he smiled back with ideas of restoring peace at the forefront of his mind.

Felia watched him pass them by fondly but she was clearly confused to see him. Goku’s gaze lingered on her a little longer than the others and there was a tinge of certainty in his eyes. It was reassuring to her.

He’s going to fix this. All of this. Somehow.

She found herself smiling gently for the first time in quite a while.

The women turned and told Prince Tarble that Bulma was not in a compliant mood. He figured as much. They informed him that they know her whereabouts, though, and that whenever he is ready, they can head her direction. They were able to find some provisions, and they were eager to get going, but Tarble told them that, if they would, he would like for them to help Goku clear out the house to the best of their abilities, and he said that he would come find them, when he was finished here. They agreed to his requests and set out to take care of business.

He had no doubt that Bulma was staying at some sort of summer home the Briefs had in another city, and he presumed that they were well enough off at the moment to do without the rest of her guards for now.

Pissed or not, the Earthlings don’t stand a chance against her guards, even just one, and if they decide to go after the Princess, they’ll seal their doom against the Saiyans, for real this time. Tarble knows this. So do they. They have no proof the Saiyans attacked them _first_ and, tactfully, the Earthlings are at a disadvantage, especially now that the androids are no more.

It was truly an ingenious decision on Dr. Gero’s part, but his plan was… incomplete. If the Earthlings intended on attacking the Saiyans as a _whole,_ and there were others collaborating _with_ the doctor, then they might have a different situation on their hands: A scenario that they could not and would not allow to come about again if it can be helped.

Tarble considered putting his hand in the strategizing of their armies in the future. He also had some ideas for the production line for their home defense, both for the Earthlings and for the Saiyans, but he’d have to discuss such matters further with Vegeta and the others in command first, and at this point in time, that line of thought is neither here nor there.

For now, Tarble knew that straight communication with Bulma is key, as she must be the one to speak to the public about this catastrophe, and soon, but she probably needs a cooling off period. Now that Goku intends to be reunited with her and his fiancé, which only complicates things, he will have to go about this delicately.

Or he could just let Goku handle it. The thought was tempting, even if it’s merely to find out how well he deals with delegation and stress. He certainly seems capable. And willing.

No matter. Not his problem, either way. She can yell and bitch all day; it won’t change anything. Tarble was certain the woman knows quite well what needs to be done but discussing the politics isn’t nearly as frightening as discussing crushed relationships.

In the meantime, there are more important matters at hand. He’s closer to figuring out the logistics of her machine and the communication lines, which are both a little different from the systems they use back home, but he refused to give up now when he knew he was getting close.

He also wanted some privacy for when he finally manages to contact his people. He didn’t really care about rebuilding or clearing out the house. It will be rebuilt, even grander than before. Those types of things just take time, but for the moment, he needs some solitude. His fingers nearly shook at his anxiety. He only hoped he would hear some good news at the end of all his efforts.

It took a few hours, but he was able to reset the connection that Bulma unblocked and he sent out a signal. Much to his surprise a box popped up with visual communication instead of just verbal, and his anticipation grew as the line tried to connect. Eventually, after several tries to different bases, the familiar face of a Saiyan popped up on the screen. Elated, the woman bowed to the Prince, clearly stricken with joy at seeing his face. He smiled back at her and asked her to tell him _everything_. She did.

He was happy to hear that his father and Bardock are alive, but, unfortunately, they’re both being held in Regeneration Tanks. He should have known, and he wasn’t upset to hear it. He let her go on and on about everything that happened and he listened with patience and understanding as she explained what she knew about the extent of the damage, but she declared that the war itself was indeed over, and that she would happily get him in contact with whomever he’d like in the meantime, given that they were available.

He told her to simply let the people know that Prince Vegeta would arrive in a week’s time, and that this attack wasn’t the Earthling’s doing, exactly, so there will be no need to retaliate. At that she told him that there were fifty Saiyan militia on their way to Earth now, and they should be arriving in just over two weeks. Tarble startled but realized that he could find them useful enough when they arrived.

He stayed on the line with her for another hour trying to figure out the timing of everything that had gone down, and the numbers of casualties, and the amount of wreckage, and, also, trying to see if the cell phone services were back up and running now that he’s reestablished the connection, but he was tired and distracted and every time one thought popped up another seemed to replace it.

The woman was good at her job, though, and she was able to do some researching and give him enough information to go off of for now, but they would have to plan a scheduled call back time for her to communicate with everyone that she’s been contacted by him, and to gather more information, and for Tarble to get some rest. She sweetly said that he looked like he needed it.

Tarble smirked. He told her he intended for the next call to be with his father and explained that the only exception to that rule would be if could speak to Bardock.

She said she understood and that she would relay the message.

Tarble then realized that if he waited for such a call, given the communication line he had, he would have to stay in the labs, unless they could reach the others from another, more mobile line. Rolling his eyes at himself, he checked to see if he had his phone (such things were never on the forefront of his mind during times of crisis) and he was pleased when he found that he did.

It _is_ a capsule model, after all, and made very well, and although the screen was damaged and the battery was dying, it was still functionable, and he knew he could always recharge it. He gave the woman his number and asked her to call him. She did, and it worked. He jumped up and out of the chair and declared that she is to only give Bardock or the King _this_ number to reach him on whenever they are able, and instructed her to get some rest herself after she accomplishes the tasks they discussed, and with that he ended the transmission and headed out.

Smirking as he strode through the hallways, he was delighted to find that much of the mess has been cleared, although he knew that the home was still unlivable, anyways. They have been working hard, and he was satisfied.

He found the others clamoring together outside, apparently taking a break. He grinned as he approached them and said, “Good news! Contact with planet Vegeta was successful! The King is fine. Recovering from battle as we speak,” their eyes lit up and they hardly repressed noise of joy as he turned to Goku and added, “Bardock as well.” Goku grinned at him, visibly relieved. Tarble cooed, “What do you all say to a hot meal, hmm?”

The guard jumped in delight and told him they’d be thrilled to join him.

Tarble looked them over, and at Goku, in particular, and tutted. His mind was going a million miles an hour as he noted that they were all worse for wear, and Saiyans amongst a people angry at their kind, but Goku was by far the most disheveled looking one amongst them, although he wore the look with a warrior pride accompanied with a quant obliviousness. He said to them, “We’ll need to get you all cleaned up and dressed first, hmm? I’ll book a hotel. Were any of you able to find some clothes?”

Serenity nodded, “Yes, Bria and I both have some capsules with clothes to wear. Felia’s room was unreachable, but we can share. Goku’s room was completely blocked, though, and the water line is messed up, Sire.”

He could tell she felt a little guilty for saying so, since she had obviously considered getting a shower already, but he understood. He said, “I’ll need one of you to run and get some clothes for him. Serenity, do you think you can manage?” She nodded. “Pick me up something as well, nothing special! I almost forgot, did any of you grab a phone charger? Do any of your phones work?” They looked amongst one another and shook their heads, he sighed, “Pick up a charger while you’re out. We’ll get you all some new phones tomorrow. For now, though, I’m sure you’re all starving! We’ll order in tonight, as we’ll have to lay low, so one of you will have to speak to the clerk at the front desk… Hopefully they won’t recognize you. Have any of you talked to Livona?”

“No, my Liege,” Bria answered, “Her Highness can hear us over the line, and we didn’t want to upset her.”

Tarble quipped, “Then speak in Saiyan if you’re so afraid! Good night! It’s not as though she can actually punish you! She’s not mad at you anyways so don’t give her a reason to be! I’m sure Livona is wondering what’s going on- Tell her the good news! And that we’ll know more later! And don’t presume so much of the Princess! I’m sure she wants to know what’s going on, as well! Now, get changed and go! And hurry back!”

She nodded and left. By the time she returned, Tarble had been quick to book a hotel before his phone died, and he told them the location of their next stop, where he had reserved the whole top floor, and had Bria, who looked the most “human”, go to the front desk his phone, which she used to purchase the room. The rest of them flew in through the balcony once the door was opened.

Goku couldn’t help but think to himself, for the first time in a long time, that he wanted a cigarette. He stayed strong though, and resisted, as he thought long and hard about everything, but for once, it wasn’t all that hard to fall asleep. He was feeling a bit numb and exhausted.

It wasn’t until the next morning that Tarble finally got the chance to speak to his father. That was an interesting conversation. For the sake of his brother’s best interests he kept some information to himself, only providing the most important talking points to his King. He mentioned that there was a struggle, that Dr. Gero was the culprit, and that they lost many soldiers, but he gave no details, and instead turned the conversation back to the King, asking him all sorts of questions about what had gone down on Planet Vegeta. The King was clearly exasperated, overwhelmed, and distracted, and so he remained none the wiser.

He knew that his father would soon find out just exactly what all went down here, and the information he gave didn’t stop King Vegeta’s incessant questions after his eldest son, but for now, he was content to know that everyone was fine, for the most part, and that Vegeta was on his way back. Sure, he was pissed that Tarble wasn’t coming, but Tarble was never his primary worry in the first place. The King was also happy to know that it wasn’t Bulma who’d planned the attack, but he seemed reluctant to discuss the Princess any further, to which Tarble was grateful.

After his long talk with the King, Tarble went to speak with the others. Everyone looked one hundred percent better than they had the night before. They had all showered, dressed, and gotten a good night’s rest, not to mention they ate a good breakfast this morning. The women said they were ready to head out if he was, but they warned that Princess Bulma was still in a foul mood according to Livona.

Tarble cast a glance in Goku’s direction but the man didn’t say anything. He seemed resolute in going to see her. Tarble was unafraid and unmoved by the news, but he still thought long and hard about returning to her.

Bulma is the least of Tarble’s worries, personally, and the Prince honestly couldn’t care less about the situation, he just wanted to reassure the Princess that the Saiyans were still loyal to the Humans. They needed to right the wrongs that Dr. Gero had created, regardless of the personal problems between them.

If she’s in such a poor disposition, then so be it. They’ll have to face each other eventually and Tarble knew better than to let his emotions overrule him when they do. He could handle her losing her temper at him, he had nothing to do with her problems, after all, and a little temper tantrum, well, he was used to that.

Goku, on the other hand, has an upset pregnant fiancé and a pissed off quarter of a love-quartet in Princess Bulma to contend with, but if he’s up for it, then he figured they would head out. Tarble looked him over, trying to gauge his emotions. He certainly didn’t _seem_ daunted. He finally asked Goku if he was ready to go, giving him an out if he needed one, or more time to take to himself, even, but at Goku’s solid, affirming nod, they left the hotel without looking back, and headed in the other’s direction.

A new day had come, and with it, a new battle.

When Goku, Tarble, and the three women arrive at the Brief’s temporary home, which was located on a remote island some ways away, they were greeted promptly by Livona, who had been long awaiting their arrival. It was already past noon by now, and Livona was clearly grateful for the added company.

She comes forward, bowing to Tarble, and tells him, “Princess Bulma has been waiting for your return, my Liege,” then she turns to Goku and says, “I took Chi Chi home earlier this morning. She insisted on getting back to her father.”

Goku nodded at that news but didn’t reply.

“Very well,” Tarble agreed with Goku’s silence, and he gestured with his hand, “Let’s go inside.” He was already growing annoyed at the situation and the screaming hadn’t even begun. At least only one poor female would be there to cause a scene.

Livona lead the way through the home, which was a decent size for a getaway house, but it didn’t take them long to come across Bulma, who was sitting alone at a desk, typing away on a computer. She was wearing headphones, but it was uncertain what she was doing on the computer exactly. She seemed completely unaware of their arrival. Livona called out to her, gently shaking her shoulder to get her attention.

When Bulma turned around, she was clearly shocked to see Goku amongst the crew of people joining them and her eyes narrowed at him, focusing on him only.

 _“You!”_ she began, anger marring her face as she took out the headphones.

Goku stepped forwards as everyone watches. He closes the distance between them as Bulma stood up to meet him. It was evident she had a lot to say to him, and although she opened her mouth to speak, Goku beat her to it.

“Bulma, I think we should talk in another room.”

She _hmphed!_ , but obliged, stepping away quickly, while Goku followed with long, deliberate, confident strides.

Tarble watched and wished him luck internally but found that there was nothing more to do for now other than to wait, and he said nothing as he considered what was about to go down. The women were just as quiet and thoughtful.

Bunny came into the room shortly after and said, “I thought I heard you all come in! Please, come to the kitchen! I was just baking some muffins! The baby is sleeping, and my husband is working on something out in the garage! I’ll let him know you’re here. I’m so glad you’re all here.”

Tarble smiled, he couldn’t help but like her.

Once Goku and Bulma were behind closed doors, she turned to him and snipped, “Well! You have some nerve showing up here! I thought for sure you were going to run away to Planet Vegeta like _my husband!_ Do you have anything to say for yourself?!” She crossed her arms over her chest and tried her best to maintain a level speaking voice, but Goku could tell she’d been crying all the same.

He frowned. He still wasn’t sure how he was planning on handling this conversation, but he found that the only thing he could say at first was, “Vegeta didn’t run away.” He resisted the urge to bring up the fact that Bulma had told him to leave, and instead kept that thought to himself.

“Oh really?!” she argued, “Is that why he isn’t here?! Helping me?! Speaking to me for himself?! Instead he sent _you_ to try and smooth things over! I meant what I said, Goku! I don’t want anything to do with either of you! So, unless you have something damn good to say to me right now, I wouldn’t waste my time, if I were you!”

Goku’s frown persisted. She sounded just like Vegeta sometimes. Under any other circumstances he would find it endearing, but he wasn’t in the mood for her attitude, regardless if she was justified in having one. He took it in stride all the same, and answered, calmly, “He didn’t send me, here, Bulma. He had to go back. He had to make sure things are set right. To make sure our people are okay… He’s going to be King soon…”

“Some King!” She fumed, “And you’re some _guard_!” Her façade of strength crumbled with every word, and she wavered, “I hate you! And _I hate_ _him_! I wish that none of this had ever happened! I wish I’d never met him! Or you!”

“Bulma…” Goku dared to take a step closer, “You don’t mean that.”

She stomped her foot and cried, “Yes I do! Tell me why, Goku?! How could you two do this?! I didn’t deserve this! _Chi Chi_ doesn’t deserve this! You two should be ashamed! How long has this been going on?! How could you lie to me like this?! I know I should be thanking you for saving our lives, but it just sounds so cheap! I’m so angry with both of you! And confused! I didn’t even know that either of you were _into_ men!” She collapsed onto the couch and put her head in her hands. Then the tears came.

Goku stepped over to her and sat down beside her on the edge of the couch. He let her cry for some time before either of them said anything else.

She lifted her eyes to him and said, “How can you just sit there like that?! What— You don’t have anything to say for yourself?! I **trusted** you! And you were lying to me! The whole time?!” she scoffed, “I can’t believe I thought that he loved me! And after all this time I actually thought that you were my _friend_! I even gave you the Dragon Ball Radar! I don’t know why I thought that this would ever work! Who knows who else he’s cheated on me with?!”

Goku frowned at that and replied, “Do you want to know what happened or not?”

She sniffled and gave him a queer look.

He’d been avoiding her gaze, but he finally locked eyes with her and explained, “It’s a long story…”

“Well you better start talking!” she demanded, but the hurt in her eyes told him she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear it.

Goku nodded, though, and opened up to her, resolved to finally get it off his chest, and put it all out in the open. He said, “Vegeta and I only met because of a tournament the Castle held. I had just gotten out of the army, and I was bored, so I entered the tournament to see how I would measure up with the other fighters. There were some prizes for the top contestants, and I was hoping to be one of them. If I could get passed a certain round, it would secure my place back in the Saiyan Army as more than just a common soldier, and that’s what I was really interested in. The prize for first place was to become a part of the Prince’s guard, but what they didn’t tell us was that the winner was also going to be travelling with him to Earth. I didn’t think I’d win the whole thing, but when I did, I was immediately moved into the castle. That’s when I met him… We came to Earth not long after that. I didn’t know why we were here. I thought he was just… coming to see what all the fuss was about.”

She listened as he explained himself, or at least tried to, but he left out a lot of details, which she suspected, but she was grateful for it, nonetheless.

He told her, hardly looking at her still, “I started falling for him ever since we first met, my first night in the castle. He pushed me hard to become a stronger fighter. He flirted with me a little, and even though I was sure he wasn’t serious, as time wore on, I couldn’t help how I felt about him. After we finally did cross that line… I found out why he came here, and that he was going to get married… to you.” He looked over at her sadly, and admitted, “It broke my heart.”

She could only listen quietly, slowly digesting his side of the story as he spoke gently.

He sighed, “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. You have to understand. Even though I wanted to be with him, I’m just a soldier, and even if he wanted to be with me, he’s the Prince! He never could have married me. I didn’t know that there was an arranged marriage going on when it first started, and I think that he was just using me as a distraction more than anything. He knew better and I knew better, but we continued the affair in secrecy. Well, we tried to keep it a secret. It ended, though, when he came here to get married to you. We never saw or spoke to one another again after that until… just the other day.”

Bulma began to sob again and turned away from him.

Goku sat back onto the couch a heaved another long sigh. He told her, “I’m sorry, Bulma. I was trying to move on from him while I was here. I was. I really care for you, and I for Chi Chi… but it’s not the same as how I feel about him, and I _still_ don’t know how he feels about me. Not how he really feels. He married _you_. Not me.”

Bulma tried to calm down as she listened but she was shaking her head in frustration and for now she seemed determined to remain silent.

Goku continued, “I don’t know what else to say, other than… I’m not going anywhere. I made a promise to Chi Chi and now that she’s pregnant, I want to be around for her and my child.” He laughed a little, “I never thought I’d be so happy in all of my life, even if everything else is falling apart. I still want to marry her, if she’ll have me, but that doesn’t mean that I’m not still in love with Vegeta.”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Bulma finally yelled, turning her accusatory blue eyes to him. “How can you say you love her and him both?! You can’t! Just like Vegeta can’t love _both_ of us! And I refuse to be the ‘other person’ in the relationship!”

Goku shrugged, hearing her reply, but refusing to be thwarted by it. He said, honestly, “I don’t know about Vegeta. I’ve never known what he’s thinking, and I certainly don’t know what he’s feeling, but I… I wouldn’t mind being the other person.”

“How can you say that?!” Bulma shouted.

“Because I’d rather have him in my life than never see him again,” Goku admitted sadly, “These past two years have been awful. I didn’t even know how sad I was without him, until I met him. But now that I have a child on the way, I can’t imagine walking away from Chi Chi, either.”

Bulma’s tears came back full force and she turned and began pounding Goku’s chest in frustration, as she cried, “How dare you?! How _dare_ you?! You’re a terrible person! That’s a terrible story!” she wept, but then her thoughts turned inward, and she voiced them inconsiderately, “I don’t understand! Why did he marry me?! Why did he do this to me?! How could you do this to me?! Oh, Goku!” she collapsed and cried into his neck, her energy level dying, and she could no longer attack him. She revealed, clinging onto him, “I’ve done this to myself, haven’t I?! I can only blame myself! I was foolish to believe that he would be loyal to me! I let him convince me that I was going to get everything I ever wanted! I let him tell me all those pretty lies about how wonderful our lives could be together and I bought into every single bit of it! I wanted to believe him so badly! He was just too irresistible! I wanted him to be mine so much I never stopped to consider that maybe it wasn’t what he actually wanted! It wasn’t even what _I_ wanted! I should have known it was all a set up! I should have known! There were signs! But I let him seduce me into believing this was real! How could I let myself be so manipulated! I don’t want to be a queen! This is too much! I don’t know how to do this, and I am so alone! I can’t be a mother to a _Prince_! I can’t do this anymore! I don’t want to be married to him, anymore!”

Painfully, Goku noted her selfishness, but he was sensitive to her, nonetheless, and he replied, although it hurt him to admit it, “He wouldn’t have chosen you if he didn’t think you could handle this, Bulma, and he wouldn’t have married you if he didn’t feel something for you. Believe me. He never would have given you a chance. And you’re not alone and you never will be.” Goku rolled his eyes in exasperation, as her tears soaked his shirt. He said, gripping her shoulder gently, “Planet Vegeta is good at surrounding their royalty with guards and other subjects, and every one of them is loyal. Besides, Vegeta may be a bit hard to understand, sometimes, but his actions speak loud enough, I think, and I think he does love you, very much.”

She pulled away and declared, indignantly, “I don’t care! I’m so fucking mad at you! And him! And!” she wiped the tears from her eyes, “I can’t just let this go! You lied to me! He cheated on me! With YOU! Does _everyone_ know?! All the guard?! Tarble?! The King?! Why did they even send you here?! Why should I forgive you?! Why should I forgive him?!”

Goku answered solemnly, “They knew that Vegeta and I had slept together, yes, but…” he looked at her sadly, “They never once thought that Vegeta had feelings for me, just the other way around, and I’m pretty sure they sent me here so that they could keep me away from him and so that I’d be able to protect you. They knew that I wouldn’t let anything happen to you.

“Technically I never lied to you, Bulma. You never asked me about my relationship with him, you just assumed that we knew each other pretty well. Which, honestly, you probably know him better than I do, but… you are a human, and as Saiyans, we understand each other differently. We’re just… compatible in ways you can’t be.” His heart clenched as he spoke these truths aloud to the one person that he never thought he’d say them to, and he exclaimed, “I am not asking for your forgiveness. Not yet anyways, I know it’s too soon. I just want you to understand. We met before you ever came into his life, and I’m sorry that I’ve hurt you, and Chi Chi, but I’m not sorry for loving him.”

Bulma scowled and turned away from him, pushing herself off of his chest, still processing everything. She wondered, arguing smartly, obstinate in finding something to say in response, “What do you think Chi Chi will have to say to your declaration, hmm?! That you love her and want to be with her, but you want him, too?! How is _that_ supposed to work?! Are we just supposed to be one big happy family?! I don’t know if that’s how things work on Planet Vegeta but that’s _not_ how we do things here, Goku! I’m so disgusted with both of you!”

Goku, getting over his numbness from the past twenty-four hours and finally feeling a little incensed, answered, “I never said it would work. I’m just telling you how I feel.” He stood up and remarked, dryly, “I don’t know what Vegeta’s going to do, Bulma. Can’t you see that it’s not up to me? It’s up to him, and to you, and to her, but it all started with him. I never thought I had a chance to actually be with him, but I tried anyways because I couldn’t help it. I fell for him. I dropped my heart into his hands without thinking. I’m pretty sure it slipped through his fingers, his hands were already full, and tied behind his back, and so now my heart is somewhere laying on the ground for him. I know it’s foolish. Believe me, you’re not the first person to tell me that I made a mistake by trying, but it’s too late and I can’t take it back. I wouldn’t even if I could.

“Besides, we have bigger problems right now. Vegeta’s heading back to our home planet, to try and clean up this mess that Dr. Gero brought upon us. Who knows what type of damage has been done there? And he blames himself for the whole thing! He has more on his mind right now than me or you or some petty affair! I didn’t understand then, but I do, now.

“He has to set things right, Bulma. I should have gone with him. I should be there, trying to help! Seeing my family! Rebuilding my planet! But instead I’m here, trying to make things right with you and Chi Chi, without even knowing what Vegeta’s intentions are.

“You think you’re the only one who’s confused and hurting right now?!” he frowned down at her, “I have to do what I think is best, and more than that, what _I_ want for once. I want to be a father! And ready or not, I have a family on the way! If I can’t be a husband then I plan on at least being a warrior for my family, and like it not, you’re practically family, at least, that’s how I feel. I would give my life for you and Trunks, the same way I would for Chi Chi. The same way I would for my brother or my father or Vegeta… and I’m going to do my part to fix this, but there’s only so much I can do right now.”

She stared at him, silenced by his declarations and his strangely calm attitude.

He sighed, hardly paying any attention to her, and hardly thinking about what he was saying. The words seemed to just pour out of him, like a dam being flooded open, and he explained, “For all I know, after everything is said and done, Vegeta may never want to see me again. He told me I’m already in so much trouble… and I know that he’s right. The King will probably be pretty angry with me after he hears what happened here. I’ve been nothing but trouble for Vegeta ever since we met. But you’ve been a blessing to him. You’re lucky; you will always have him in your life. You have a son together. He will never abandon you. He will never stop caring for you. He will never leave you, even if you try to push him away. He’s not that type of man. He’ll always be here for you. So, you can be angry with him and with me all you want, but it won’t change anything.”

Bulma’s face was red she was so upset, and even though Goku could tell she was considering his words and that she was clearly flustered by all this information, she still seemed intent on fighting.

“That’s it?!” she shouted, “That’s all you have to say for yourself?! _Sorry not sorry_ that you’re in love with my husband?! Are you even hearing yourself?! You’re damn right I’m angry! And I have every right to be angry at _both_ of you!”

Goku, though, was unfazed by her outburst, and done with this conversation. He’s said his peace, and he felt justified by it. He couldn’t deny that he was surprised by himself at his lack of consideration for her disposition, but it couldn’t be helped. He supposed that he honestly saw her as a bit of a brat, and he figured he was _used_ to such immature behavior after so long. He knew she deserved better than what had happened to her, and that she is intelligent and thoughtful, over all, not to mention innocent in this situation, but he also knew that he didn’t do what he did to deliberately harm her, so he didn’t feel half as guilty as he thought he might.

He remarked, after briefly considering what she might have to say, and resolving that he didn’t care, “Yeah, well, that’s fine. I have somewhere else I have to go, and you still have what’s left of your loyal guard out there waiting to speak with you, willing to follow whatever orders you give them. Prince Tarble stayed here, too, so he can help you through this. He didn’t have to do that. And, besides, you have a son to worry about, and a planet that needs help, help that only you can provide, given the resources available to you. Maybe you should think about that instead of just thinking about yourself.” He turned to walk away, but before he could he added, “And by the way, I was going to give the last Dragon ball to you, I just waited because I wanted to make it special, since it was something that I knew you really cared about. But, considering everything, I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t get what you wanted for once.”

With that he left, walking straight through the house, ignoring the questioning stares of the others when they spotted him as he went out the front door, and then he took off flying, heading for the Ox King’s home. The journey went by in a blur.

“Chi Chi?” Goku says meekly as he enters her room. He hadn’t even bothered knocking on the front door, he just barged right into the home. Luckily for him, the Ox King was out in the nearest town, probably asking for some news and picking up some groceries.

Chi Chi was sleeping soundlessly on her bed as he approached, and he noted her distressed face with a pang in his chest. He shook her awake gently.

When she stirred, she seemed out of it, but when she realized that it was him who had disturbed her, she shot up, and clenched the blankets around her closer to her body.

“Goku…?” she asked, weakly, clearly in some sort of denial.

“Hey, Chi Chi…” he smiled softly.

She couldn’t speak. All the emotions she felt were overwhelming, and although she tried to contain herself, her lip quivered briefly before she began weeping. He pulled her close and she allowed it, hanging on to him for all that it was worth.

“I’m not going anywhere…” he told her. “It’s going to be okay. We can talk about this…”

She only cried harder.

Vegeta is stressed out. He shouldn’t have initiated the sleep cycle. He should have let himself have some time to think before walking into this. Alas, he came home to chaos and destruction, but thankfully, there was not complete disorder in the land. Much of the castle was destroyed from what he could see, but there were men and women everywhere working to repair it, and any who saw him stopped and bowed and praised him and the others, and they pledged their loyalty to him, informing the newly arrived men that the King is alive and well and waiting to speak with his Highness, alone.

Their allegiance was, for once, bittersweet. He’d “earned” their respect for the first time in his life, and yet it wasn’t him at all who had saved them. Even _Tarble_ had done more to save them. The thought tore Vegeta apart inside, and he remained brutally and even uncommonly reserved. Even the news that his father was alive and well wasn’t enough to stir him out of his emotional stupor.

He briefly told the rest of the men who had awaited his arrival, the ones who had been on Earth with him, to go and seek out their families immediately. He noted the gratefulness of them all as they scattered, especially Raditz’s long and thoughtful gaze, but he ignored the pangs in his own soul as he thought of his own son and wife.

He intended to find his father and speak with him in private first and foremost. He knew that was what was expected of him, and he had nothing to say to anyone else, and although he knew that his father was awaiting his arrival, he was not looking forward to their conversation. He took his time as he surveyed the land around him, and the damage done.

Change is coming. It will take more than a few bricks to reconstruct the castle and the surrounding cities, and even more than that to rebuild these people’s lives.

Vegeta was struggling with his own dilemma at the moment, though. He wished he didn’t have to tell his King what happened, but he had no choice, and he was certain that Tarble kept their conversation about the topic to only the necessary details. In fact, he knew that Tarble had kept quiet about everything he could, an ability he had a knack for, in order to afford him the opportunity to come clean about the situation for himself, but that didn’t make it any easier.

The words he needed to speak were hardly forming in his head, much less his mouth at this point in time and the more he walked around, the more he felt as though he could get lost amongst the rubble of destruction, and the jumbling of his thoughts.

“Prince Vegeta!” One of the castle guards calls to him, bowing. Vegeta turns to acknowledge him through a haze as what he’s seeing and what he’s thinking hardly register coherently. Still, he understands as the man tells him, “King Vegeta is with Bardock in what’s left of the west wing! They’ve been discussing something privately in the court room for the last hour, my Liege, and requested that no one bother them, unless you should happen to arrive before they were finished. The King will be glad to see you! As we all are!”

Vegeta couldn’t say if he responded, he might have nodded, but he wasn’t sure. He only knew that his footsteps were carrying him nigh, and that his heart was beating harrowingly in his chest. He tried to capture his thoughts, but there were too many of them, just as he tried to assess the damage to his planet, to his home, but it was too vast.

Not enough time had passed as he realized he was drawing nearer to the west wing, where the castle seemed almost untouched. He noticed that there were no men here, they had all gone off on some mission his father probably sent them on, and the halls were eerily quiet, despite the noise going on just outside of these precious walls. Vegeta glanced around as he approached the court room, and the closer he got, the more he could hear the muffled sound of two men in a heated discussion.

He came to the door and hesitated. He didn’t know what had come over him to be so _scared_ to speak with his father. Not scared, really, but _ashamed._ He swallowed it down and nudged the door open quietly, slowly, but when he does he hears the two men speaking clearly, and he stalls again, closing the door to just a crack, as the very first thing he hears coming out of his father’s mouth, well, it makes him want to hear _more_ without interrupting them, and not simply because he felt insecure of what he has to say. He peered inside as best he could as he listened, and he watched.

“Damn it, Bardock, since when does _our_ affair have anything to do with _my_ law and order?! I have a damn planet to rebuild and you’re angry because of how I acted during the heat of battle?! Like you’ve never gone a little overboard!”

 _‘“Our_ affair _” …?’_ Vegeta thought. He couldn’t possibly have heard him right.

“It’s not just that and you know it! You’ve been downright cruel about the situation and I am literally sick to my stomach speaking with you about all of this! I’m so _sick_ of this conversation, Endoliarin!” Bardock hisses, “How many times are we going to go over this?! You’re just pissed and you’re acting like a—”

“You’re right! I am furious! I’m trying to make things right, and figure out plans for the future,” the King’s voice boomed, “meanwhile you’re refusing to help _me_ out of _spite_ because I don’t _feel_ like talking about what YOU can’t let go! And if I DARE bring up _your_ shortcomings you try to wave off your _lack of communication_ as some sort of—”

“Don’t you _dare insinuate_ that _I_ wasn’t communicating with you!” Bardock growled, “We should be so _lucky_ that I even _have_ the gift of foresight! I’ve told you everything! EVERYTHING that I know! Everything that I _saw_!”

 _‘…What…?’_ Vegeta thought, listening closely.

“Then why couldn’t we do more?!” he heard his father yell, “Why did it have to end up like _this?! Why didn’t we plan for this??!_ Do you have any idea how badly our people will be hurting because of this in the years to come, and yet we did practically _nothing_ to stop it!”

Bardock slammed his hand over some items sitting innocently on a desk, knocking everything to the ground with a loud crash. Vegeta flinched. He’s never seen him so angry. He heard the man cry, speaking to his father in a way Vegeta has _never_ heard anyone talk to him, “Are you serious?! We did _everything we could_ to stop it! Should we have _somehow_ been _more_ _prepared_?! What about Frieza?! Was I supposed to just _not_ tell you because I didn’t think we could handle it, then?! You want to talk about destruction?! How about complete annihilation!”

The King retorted, heatedly, “I trusted you to share everything you knew, and you withheld information from me! For what? To save face with your son?! When our people’s lives were at stake?!”

“Are you even listening to yourself?! The information I kept had nothing to do with our survival! You’re suspicious of _me_ because Tarble wasn’t as forthcoming as you’d hoped when he contacted you and now you don’t know what to do with all your precious plans! Your _‘perfect replacement plan’_ for your Kingship isn’t going as smoothly as you’d hoped! So, you’re mad because you know I was right all along! And you’re stressed out because we’re going to have to repair the planet in the meantime! SO FUCKING WHAT?! What the fuck is the difference, Vegeta?! At least we still _have_ a planet!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” The King replied in disdain, but he didn’t bother to correct him as he ran a hand down his face and through his beard.

Vegeta could only lean closer as he listened, and he continued to peer through the door as stealthily as possible.

Bardock quipped, “Oh, so first I’m lying about how well I can see the future and now my visions are _all completely wrong_!” he threw his hands up and said, “I wasn’t fighting beside you the whole time, trying to keep you alive and anyone else I could help! I must have just been dreaming the whole time!”

“This is still my fucking kingdom, Bardock! And lover or not, you’re still my subject!”

Bardock mock laughed and retorted, “You’re not treating me like any kind of lover or even a friend right now! And you know what?!” he sneers, “I’m walking away. From this. From you. I’m done. You’re being a fucking dick. I don’t have to put up with this,” he turns, calling over his shoulder as he begins to walk away, “Oh, and you’re welcome!”

“Get back here and talk to me!” Vegeta snipes, grabbing onto Bardock’s wrist and yanking him back to him.

“No!” Bardock argues, pulling his arm loose, and shoving the King in his chest a little, “Not while you’re being nonsensical! I _hate it_ when you act like this!”

“Damn it, Bardock! Try to understand where I’m coming from!” The King growls.

“Yeah, sure,” Bardock replies before taking the bait, “So I’m just supposed to be completely fine with the fact that I helped you send my son away, from his home, from his people, from _your son,_ when you know _damn well_ what it’s cost them! What it _almost_ cost them! And now that he _is_ away and Vegeta’s coming home, you’re just going to act like nothing ever fucking happened?! Like nothing’s wrong with the situation?! Tarble might not have said it but you and I both know what happened out there! _And you can’t stand it!_ You can’t stand the thought of my son and yours being together! And don’t even pretend that it’s not true- I CAN READ YOUR MIND, TOO, YOU KNOW!”

“I never wanted Vegeta to have to go through what we’ve dealt with all these long years!” The King turned away from Bardock for a moment, slamming his fists down onto the same desk Bardock just swatted everything off of. “What’s so hard to understand about that?!” he argued, and Prince Vegeta listened, hardly able to believe what he was hearing as his father continued. “Are you going to honestly tell me that you don’t regret this affair between us, sometimes? It sucks! It’s pathetic! Do you have any idea how many times I wonder if someone’s figured it out, already?! How many times I wish I could just take you in my arms and be done with this foolish charade?! I want something better for Vegeta! _And_ for your son! Goku will be perfectly fine on his own! And Vegeta is well on his way to his own happiness! The marriage was for the best! I’m sure that once I hand over the crown he will be just fine! Why should they suffer when you and I both know it’s not going to be worth the trouble in the long run? Vegeta will be much better off by _staying away from him_. And once I hand over the crown we can follow through with _our_ plans!”

“I refuse to stand by that! They have the right to choose for themselves! Just like we have!” Bardock snapped, “I know what your problem is! You’re mad because the destruction the androids caused made _you_ feel obsolete and someone else had to be the one to save us all! A Saiyan born a third class, of all people! Just like me! Does that really bother you so much?! Newsflash Vegeta! Goku was going to become a Legendary _either way!_ You just didn’t want to believe it! And just because you’re a Super Saiyan and just because you’re a King, doesn’t mean that your invincible! And it doesn’t mean that you should be perfect, either! You’ve been grilling impossible ideas of some kind of perfect kingdom into the minds of your sons ever since the end of Frieza! I told you to back off of them! I told you not to be so fucking cocky! But you didn’t listen- you never listen- and you’re not the only one with problems, Vegeta! You have no idea how difficult my life has been ever since that damn Kanassaan gave me this stupid gift! Do you have any idea how hard it’s been for me to keep this secret?! Especially from my kids! I’ve kept this a secret from everyone _but you_! I trusted you! Only you! And I’ve trusted you for _thirty years_ now, but you’ve taken this too far! You’ve been using me as a means to an end and I’m not even sure if we both want the same thing anymore!”

The King grabbed a hold of Bardock, pulling him close, and declared, “Shut up! I hate it when you try to bluff your way through an argument!”

“Get your hands off of me,” Bardock argued, but even through the crack in the door, Vegeta knew it was half-hearted, even as he saw his father kiss him roughly, he knew their bantering was mostly foreplay.

He’d heard enough. And seen enough. He stood back, giving them some privacy, aghast and in complete shock.

He left quickly after that and ran as far away as he could, blasting off into the sky once he got outside, and he flew and flew and flew until he found an empty patch of land, and he finally allowed himself to think.

And to think.

And to think.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DRAMA


	31. 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up for a long one

Chapter 31

Bulma eventually came out of the room where she’d been hiding for no reason other than the sound of her son’s cries from another room nearby. She scooped him up and cleaned him off before bringing him with her into the kitchen, where the rest of her guard, all that was left of them, Prince Tarble, and her mother and father were all sitting, talking about something quietly.

She wasn’t sure what they were discussing. She could hardly digest their words, much less join in on the conversation. Goku had said enough to her to last her conversationally for a month, and she wasn’t much in the mood to talk, but she needed to show her face, and the baby needed to eat. She put on a brave look, and pretended to be of sound mind, but just one glance at all of them and she knew she was in danger of falling apart.

She wouldn’t allow it.

“Bulma, dear,” her mother called, “It’s good to see you up and about, sweetie. Are you hungry?”

“No, Mom,” she replied, “I can’t eat anything right now and I have to feed Trunks.”

Bunny fussed, “Oh, but you have to eat something! I’ll grab little Trunks’ bottle and I’ll start whipping up your favorite for dinner! Come now, have a seat and relax.”

Bulma frowned but inched closer as all eyes were on her. Had she locked herself away for that long? She sighed, at least Trunks napped a good bit, then.

Tarble stood from his place at the table and offered her his seat, smiling at her. She took it, confused by him, and lost within her own incomplete thoughts.

Why is he being so kind to her? Does he feel bad for her for his brother’s sake?

What is she supposed to be doing with herself, now? She didn’t know. Well, maybe she did, but she wasn’t sure she could manage. She wasn’t done sorting through her thoughts about everything that Goku said, and everything that he and Vegeta have done. Including saving their lives.

Her father’s voice caught her attention, though, as he said, “I was hoping to be able to look more into Dr. Gero’s schematics, but Tarble has informed me that his labs were completely destroyed. Such a shame, to have lost all that research. Not that the androids interest me, but I was really hoping we could use some of his work on some of our projects.”

“Dear, isn’t that like cheating?” Bunny asked, far too cheerfully, “You didn’t do the work, after all!”

Bulma smiled at her, she didn’t know why, she supposed she found her mother endearing. She said to her father, “It’s not lost, Dad. While I was there, I used a Capsule hard drive to backup all of his files. It’s in the other room, I was looking at it earlier. I guess I forgot to tell you.”

Tarble balked, “You did?!”

“Well, yeah,” she replied nonchalantly as she adjusted Trunks in her arms, almost feeling like herself for a moment. “I figured that the laboratory was going to get destroyed, so I made sure to copy the research that Capsule Corp. helped fund, not to mention everything else. I don’t think it’s stealing. We had a business contract after all, it’s not our fault he voided it by being a complete maniac. It’s what I was looking into before… Goku and I talked earlier. All of Dr. Gero’s blueprints are on that thing. Including the work that he was doing for our gravity neutralizer. And apparently, he was trying to figure out a way to create a launch pad, kind of like a _Star Trek_ materialization pad.”

“A what?” Tarble asked.

“ _Star Trek_!” Serenity laughed cheerily at the mention of it, “It’s a movie franchise! You should watch it, your Highness! There are some interesting technologies in it! What a great idea, Princess!”

Tarble stared at Serenity blankly before his attention blipped back to Bulma.

The Princess smiled a little, and said, “Yes, well, it wasn’t my idea, but it is my project, now. It’s the least Gero could do pay us back for all our troubles. Anyways, it’s still in the early stages of research, but I definitely think we could get some use out of it… if it’s even possible to create. My gosh, Dad, you should know better than to think I would ever let an opportunity like that pass me by.”

Her father laughed and Tarble grinned. The Prince wasn’t sure what they were talking about, but it sounded like good news to him, and seeing the Princess’ eyes light up at the conversation didn’t hurt either. It seemed she wasn’t completely downtrodden. He wondered what Goku had said to her, but let that thought slide.

“Well!” Tarble interrupted the conversation, “I must say we certainly have our hands full here, don’t we?”

Bulma looked up at him, genuinely interested in what was on his mind.

Tarble smirked, “I’ve been thinking quite a bit about this predicament, and I believe that it would be in everyone’s best interests to get the people of this planet on the same page before too much longer.” His gaze fell upon Bulma, “Unfortunately my brother is currently in cryosleep on his way to our home planet, but for now we have a lot to do, and as head of this planet, Princess, it’s your job to do it. We can’t stay here forever, and in hiding no less! The sooner we start tackling these issues, the better.”

Bulma glared, “What are you proposing we do, exactly?”

“Why, we fund the reproduction of the destroyed cities of course, starting with your own. It’s a perfect opportunity to lure other companies into contracts with Capsule Corp. that can help reconstitute the damage done to houses and businesses, as well as offer them incentive to come up with new and creative endeavors for the rebuilding project. This doesn’t have to be viewed as a loss. Your capsules can be used to help carry building equipment quickly and efficiently, and with some generous donations to the right corporations, this planet will be up and running in no time.”

Bulma thought long and hard about what he was saying, and she was delighted by the idea of it, so was her father she could tell, but she still wasn’t sure how practical Tarble was being. She sighed, “We’re not Saiyans, Tarble. We can’t just fly around with super strength and redo everything that was undone.”

Tarble’s smirk widened, “No you are not, and that is certainly out of the question,” he said, “But there are fifty Saiyans on their way here, now, and I intend to put them to work. But we need to come up with a game plan in the meantime. I also have it on good authority that out of all the pods Gero created to send the androids to Planet Vegeta, twenty of them are still functionable. And nine more are on there way there, now. Once I can create a plan with my advisors back home, they will send more people here to speed up the processes. Of course, the damage done on Planet Vegeta is apparently much worse than it is here, but I have a feeling that our allies will be coming to us with aid shortly, given that they are well compensated.”

Bulma sighed, “And where will all these funds come from, Tarble? Capsule Corp. has money, but we’re not _made_ of it.”

Tarble chuckled, “Vegeta never discussed with you the true vastness of the riches acquired by Planet Vegeta, did he? Why would he? He wouldn’t consider you the type to try and steal it all! We as a people have little need for such ‘luxuries’ but we certainly have our own, and we have the means to achieve more. What we don’t have are the resources, which is why Capsule Corp. and the Earth has been so important to us in the past. So, we will fund Capsule Corp. to cut a deal with our allies for resources, Capsule Corp. repays them with its own technology, and the people of Planet Vegeta will receive the benefit of their help through their improvement, further insuring our good relationships. It’s a win-win-win.”

Bulma frowned, though, and countered, “But what about in the meantime? These people have to eat. They have no jobs. Where will they sleep?” She couldn’t help but wonder when she ever started considering such problems or making them her own. Perhaps it’s all those “Princess” tutoring lessons paying off and coming out through her subconscious.

Tarble sighed, “If there’s one thing that I’ve learned under a monarchy it’s that the elites cannot be stingy with their goods. We will have to spread the wealth as much as we can, without endangering the wellbeing of the people. You’ll have to buy out hotels and motels for the sole purpose of assisting them but give them some incentive to work for it in return, otherwise the whole system crashes. For every individual, or head of the family, willing to participate in the rebuilding, a room will be given to them, and food, rationed, of course, provided. You’ll have to go out of pocket for this, and since this can only go on for so long, you’ll have to be strict and direct about the clauses in such a contract. But the results of it will create loyalty to your company, and to you. And it’s important to keep the economy going. Encourage spending. Encourage travel, even. The situation is not a total loss. Believe me, I’ve seen civilizations come back from worse. Thankfully for us, most of the damage done was out in the middle of nowhere. The planet’s worse for wear due to fear more than anything, and that can be countered sufficiently.”

“Oh, Tarble!” Bulma suddenly cried, her emotions fluctuating wildly recently, “Thank you!” She tried her best to regain her composure before she started crying again.

Tarble gave her a strange look.

She shook her head and heaved a sigh, embarrassed of her outburst. Still, she told him, much more calmly, “Thank you so much for staying here. And for helping us. I couldn’t do this without you.”

“Nonsense!” he replied simply, “That’s how this works! Eventually you will have your own court, _here_ , with your own personal set of advisors and so forth. Just because the King sits on the throne alone, doesn’t mean that he’s by himself.” He turned a little more serious, then, and added, “But you will have to decided for yourself exactly what must be done. Yours is the final say in such affairs, and it’s up to you to turn this all around and get the recovery period started.”

She smiled at him and nodded, and then she turned to her guard and said, “I’m so sorry, you guys, I’ve been such a mess… Thank you all… really… I love you all, dearly. I- I’m so sorry this happened… The other women… I…”

They smiled and told her they felt the same, stopping her from making a big fuss over everything at the moment. They will grieve, but for now, they knew that Tarble was right. Their lives, and the lives of many others, have been upheaved, and they needed to fix that.

Bunny and Dr. Briefs could only smile at one another as they considered the situation, and they hoped that Prince Tarble’s assumptions were correct. They had no choice but to follow through with his suggestions, but he seemed a wise a capable leader to them, and they trusted him.

After a few days, Bulma and Prince Tarble sent out the women to secure more clothing, food, and new phones for everyone, including Goku, wherever he is. Although Bulma snubbed her nose up at his name when the other guards mentioned him, she didn’t say they _couldn’t_ purchase the items for him. They treaded gently around the topic otherwise.

They had also worked out a makeshift plan of how to go about reconstructing the torn down cities. Tarble was an excellent delegator, and constantly made, or improved upon, plans to correct their situation, pointing out flaws in their ideas and revising them over and over until every possibility had been considered.

He sent the guards out in shifts to go and clear out Capsule Corp., always letting at least one stay behind to help out with the baby, while Mr. and Mrs. Briefs were busy with their own things. Mrs. Briefs fed all of them, and Mr. Briefs, well, he worked on whatever it was he was obsessing over at the time.

Bulma spent much of the following week on the phone with different governors and officials from all over the world, explaining the situation over and over again, and showing proof of her innocence, as well as the Saiyans, via Dr. Gero’s laboratory documents, which she had stolen. The process was time consuming, but eventually, the information started leaking out that Dr. Gero was the man behind the attacks, that he was interested in world domination, and that, to put it lightly, he’d made a grave mistake.

Some news reports, as well as civil sightings, came back to confirm that they had seen Saiyans fighting what looked to be flying humans, and so, in concurrence with such evidence, Bulma’s name was cleared, and the people came to respect the Saiyans all the more for coming to save them, at least, that’s the spin some people were putting on the story. Tarble told Bulma not to bother correcting it.

Bulma was up to her neck in paperwork and in over her head with phone calls wishing for an interview, but Tarble insisted that she wait for Vegeta’s arrival back on Planet Vegeta before she makes any sort of public announcement. Not to mention, none of their plans were completely finalized, including the funding for them. Capsule Corp. was willing to foot most of the bill, but they were going to need help, and convincing wealthy, untouched people to chip in some of their resources was harder than Tarble thought it would be, but not more than Bulma figured. She would manage though, even if she had to resort to threatening to pull away her own company’s prior interest in theirs.

Meanwhile, Tarble was busy with his own set of phone calls back and forth from his advisors back home, and Bulma knew that he was not entirely focused on Earth’s problems. She couldn’t blame him. Listening to him speaking with them over the phone, even though she couldn’t understand him some of the time, he was clearly every bit as exasperated as she is. What’s worse, he turned weary and distracted whenever he spoke to anyone about the problems going on there. He seemed to be biting back cries of frustration, and more than once, Bulma saw the same stoic expression cross his features that she was so used to seeing in Vegeta.

The only time she saw Tarble smile was when he got a phone call that he apparently hadn’t been expecting.

“Bardock!” he exclaimed excitedly, and he jumped up from his seat as he began pacing again, but this time, there was a pep to his steps that Bulma watched curiously.

What was said on the other line, Bulma didn’t know, but his change in mood was contagious. She wondered who “Bardock” is.

“It’s wonderful to hear your voice!” Tarble mused happily, “But I must say I am disappointed in you!” his tone was almost teasing.

Again, Bulma couldn’t guess what the other person might be saying.

Tarble grinned, “Well, you told me I would be the _first_ on your list of confidants should something like a war arise again! And I’m only just now hearing from you!” His grin only split open wider as the other man retorted. Tarble laughed and laughed at whatever was said, then he replied, “I suppose I can let it go this one time on account of your perpetually reputable deeds!”

Bulma couldn’t help but laugh a little at that. Who the hell is he talking to?

“Oh,” Tarble was saying, finally stopping his pacing, “Yes, yes, of course. Mmm, he is well. And give my best to Raditz when he gets there! Oh, that reminds me- Radom! Minala!- How are they?” Tarble’s face fell after another few moments of listening and he sat back in the chair he’d jumped out of and put his head in his hands. “...Ah, yes, poor Dr. Buro, I had nearly forgot. And how is Minala fairing… Mmm… Of course…” Tarble swiped over his eyes with his forearm before sitting back up, his face again devoid of emotion. The conversation turned quieter after that.

The smile fell from Bulma’s face as well as she put two and two together. She knew Dr. Buro. Apparently now he’s dead. It’s tragic, really, considering how he worked with Dr. Gero to help create those pods. He’d been the one collaborating with Capsule Corp. on their endeavors for years, now. Bulma liked him very much, so did her father, and if she isn’t mistaken, Goku knows him. He’s the father of Raditz’s wife, who she assumed is Minala. She wondered if Bardock was related to Goku, since Tarble brought up Raditz. Bardock must be their father.

Bulma turned away from the Prince and tried to focus back on her computer, but the dreadful thoughts of death and dismay wouldn’t escape her mind. She couldn’t imagine how bad it must truly be back on Planet Vegeta. She didn’t want to think about the fact that Dr. Gero had attacked their planet, without any sort of warning. At least they’d had a warning, and supposedly the androids that were sent there were more powerful than the one’s Goku and Vegeta fought here. It all seemed like a bad dream. She wondered if the King was still pissed at the Humans regardless that it wasn’t a joint attack. She presumes he probably is, and she couldn’t fault him for it.

Thinking of the Saiyans made her uneasy. The Terrans are so weak compared to them, and when it comes to their civilization, despite having equivalent technologies, the Humans are the lesser creatures, and also, the more primal acting, despite being less primitive. Well, she wasn’t sure that was entirely true, but at least the Saiyans don’t go to war with their own kind. Perhaps this whole ordeal will teach the Earthling’s a thing or two, after all. She hoped they could get past this without the needs for any sort of secretive retaliation plans. She certainly didn’t plan on trying anything, and whether leaving their defenses open to such an attack was wise or not, she knew there was nothing that could be done about it, either way, and she wasn’t going to presume a need for it. She is married to their _Prince_ , after all.

She didn’t want to, but she couldn’t help but think of her husband, and how much unfinished business there is between them, much less the lingering circumstances between the planets. What is going to become of the relationship between the two worlds, now? Is the fact that Tarble is pushing for Bulma to rectify everything going to absolve any sort of _quaint_ hand she played in this planet’s ruling previously? Is he pushing her to make a power move over the people on purpose? Vegeta said that it wasn’t his intention to “rule” this world, necessarily, but was he just saying that for the time being, until he slowly but surely coerced her into monopolizing the planet? She certainly knew that he could be manipulative.

She had to slow down her thoughts and take a step back the more she jumped down that rabbit hole. All her train of thought did was bring her back to the conversation she’d had with Goku and digging into that was a lot more revealing than she’d initially given it credit for.

Aside from admitting their infidelity, he’d said a lot of things about Vegeta that made her question her own understanding of him. Goku said that all of Vegeta’s subjects were loyal. She knew this of course, but why would he mention it if it didn’t mean anything? He also declared _several times_ that Vegeta is going to be _King._ Again, she _knows_ that, but what was the importance of stating it over and over? He mentioned that he’s been nothing but trouble for Vegeta and that he was probably going to get in trouble for what he’s done. Trouble for him _how_ and in trouble with who, though, and why? Then, he promised that Vegeta had no plans of leaving her, whether it be that he stays for the baby alone or not. He even stated that Vegeta would _not_ have married her if he _didn’t_ think she could fulfill her role. He also told her about the subtle differences between the two species and how “compatible” he was with Vegeta over her, naturally. With absolutely no vehemence in his voice.

He said that he loved her like family, along with Chi Chi, and Prince Trunks, and Bulma knows that he loves the Earth, even the women of the guard mentioned several times that they thought that he seemed quite happy here, well, as happy as he could be. Bulma had been suspicious something was off with him, but how could she have known what it was?

She thought of the conversations that she’d had with each of the cheating men about each other. How quickly each man would bring up the other and then shut the conversation down. How something seemed to light up in their eyes whenever they heard the other man mentioned, whether it was by her or someone else, and yet they remained quiet but observant.

She thought of the looks that passed between the two men when they first saw each other. The many profound thoughts she _should_ have recognized flitting through Goku’s face in that moment and the determination of her husband to keep his own well hidden. Then, when the two arrived for dinner an hour later, how Goku smiled at him, but wouldn’t speak to him, and how Vegeta would glance at him, but ignore him at the same time. Then a few nights later, at the party, their _now_ extremely meaningful albeit simple and concise conversation surrounding his leaving the guard and their _plans_ for later. Vegeta’s hostility at Goku being absent, and Goku’s nervousness, coupled with a carefulness in what was said.

Clearly, they were used to feigning that nothing was going on between them, but they also seemed to be at odds with one another. As though one of them was in constant disagreement with the other. But who was fighting with whom? And about what?

Even when the other Saiyans arrived and gave them the horrible news, Bulma remembered Goku telling Vegeta what _he thought_ they should do and Vegeta didn’t argue with him. She didn’t find it odd at the time, of course, she would do the same, but Goku _is_ just a guard, yet he didn’t follow instructions like a simple guard, and Vegeta didn’t treat him like one, either.

According to Chi Chi, it was _Goku_ who convinced Vegeta to stay and fight the androids and defend this planet, instead of running back to Planet Vegeta with the others.

Bulma didn’t know what to do with all this information! She hated that it took her seeing their infidelity firsthand to put two and two together, then again, neither of them has seen each other or talked to one other in so long, if Goku’s telling the truth.

She knows that Goku is an honest man, if not a little less forthcoming than desired, he’s still a genuine person. A _good_ person. He meant every word he’d said to her.

Did that mean that Vegeta meant it all, too? He wasn’t exactly the romantic type, not when it came to words anyways. He was more of a show and tell kind of guy.

Her displacement between the two men made her think of her own personal doubts about her relationship with Vegeta, ones in which she’s never expressed before. The gnawing voice in the back of her head that whispered, _“you’re not enough for him, you could never be enough,”_ and taunted, _“you’ve bitten off more than you can chew, you don’t know what you’re doing.” “This is a mistake.” “It’s just a means to an end for him.” “He wants the planet, not you.”_

She couldn’t help but try and dissect every conversation she’s ever had with her husband, but for all the words they spoke there was hardly a damn thing said between them that wasn’t either facetious and sarcastic, or personal arguments that turned quickly into mutually frustrated agreements over their circumstances.

Why _did_ he marry her? He certainly didn’t _have_ to.

Or did he?

Goku said there was an “arranged” marriage but did Vegeta ever give that impression? He never said she _had_ to say yes, but he was very coercive. And it happened so abruptly. And he _did_ come here _looking_ for a wife.

 _‘Good fucking night, Bulma!’_ she thought to herself, her own mind revealing an epiphany she wished she didn’t have. _‘I agreed to marry him for many, many reasons, but I knew, oh I knew that his sole purpose in coming here was to find a wife! And here I thought I was going to be repulsed by him, and I was going to turn him down and send him on his way and then laugh about it for years to come, but I wasn’t repulsed by him at all! I was captivated by every bit of him! And once I met him, I knew, in the back of my mind, that if I didn’t accept his offer, someone else would! Some other, rich, impetuous, greedy, licentious human woman would have him, and I couldn’t stand the thought of it.’_

No, and she still couldn’t.

She was so pleased by his intelligence, and so enraptured by his dark and brooding nature that her own plans to thwart his and throw them in his face backfired.

She expected to be disappointed on their first “date” when they went to dinner alone, but she wasn’t. She expected to find him stuffy and conceited, and he _was,_ but there was so much more to him than that. He was everything she thought a Prince could be, should be, would be, and yet, _more. He wasn’t even human,_ and he wasn’t exactly Prince charming in the stereotypical sense, but she _liked_ that about him. He would go word for word with her in a battle of wits, and he even surprised her a time or two with just how deeply he considered so many of the topics they discussed. Intellectually he was stimulating, physically he was perfection, his very aura seemed to surround him in an almost frightening and commanding manner, and yet he had this uncanny ability to tuck it all away when he pleased and turn so sensual, so gentle even.

She imagined he did it all for _her_. He watched his strength around her because he _wanted_ to. He singled her out because _he_ _wanted to._

Oh, she’d heard all about the mess the other candidates had made in their attempt to wrangle him, their immense faux pas, and how badly they missed the mark from what he truly desired in a partner. Of course, she couldn’t have guessed that _before_ meeting him, but she knew, somehow, after their first fight the _very first night they met_ , that Vegeta _didn’t_ _want_ a complacent, compliant, trophy wife. He wanted someone who was cunning, someone who was confident, someone who wasn’t going to be a doormat; someone who was like _her_.

But maybe she misunderstood his gentleness towards her. Maybe he was only like that with her because he _had_ to be, and maybe, yes, maybe he _wanted_ to be gentle with her, but maybe only because to _be with her he had to be._

Maybe he didn’t want to have to watch his strength at all? Maybe he wanted someone with strength of their own, someone who would rise to any occasion and stand up for battle when called, someone that could and would hold their own, even without him by their side.

Maybe he married her because he she _has_ those qualities, sans the physical strength, and he expected her to keep all those characteristics which he found attractive and utilize them _outside_ of their relationship, knowing that she would ultimately be well protected. He wanted someone who he believed has standards and pride. Someone who will and can, maintain a solid reputation. Someone who can raise his son in a way he finds suitable for his title of a Prince.

 _Fuck_.

A _son_.

_The baby._

She turned to Trunks with wide eyes as she realized that _he’s_ what Vegeta _really_ wanted, just as she came to understand that he wasn’t willing to get what he wanted with just anyone. And moreover, he couldn’t get what he wanted with just _anyone._

_Or even a certain someone…_

He _did_ choose her, but maybe not for all the reasons she’d initially thought. Maybe they weren’t in love. Maybe they were just in lust, but she knew, too, somehow, that what he lusted after was more than good looks, and that when he lusted after something, he didn’t let it go so easily... She knew it because she felt the same way. It’s why she waited so long to find someone who was her equal, in every way, and more than that, someone who was more powerful than her, in every way. She never would have found his match in all of the Earth.

And she knew well what it was like to lust after something in a life-long pursuit. She understood obsession intimately, as plainly as she could read it all over Vegeta’s demeanor. She saw it in when he looked at her and at Trunks, and especially even, she hated to admit, when he looked at Goku like he did just before they kissed on the battlefield.

She knew, too, that the pride and joy that is their son is everything to her, _and to Vegeta_ , and that Goku is right, Vegeta isn’t going to just let them go without a fight.

She had to consider, honestly, her own selfish means of getting Vegeta, and getting Trunks, and she found that she truly didn’t regret it. She didn’t regret any of it, nor was she about to deny that Trunks was the _only thing_ she wanted from Vegeta.

No, she _wanted_ all of those things he promised her. The jewels, the clothing, the fine dinners, and wine! The advisors, the guards, the servants, the _loyalties!_ She wanted whole damn array! Did she _need_ any of it? No- but that’s not the point!

Goku’s words poured over her, drenching her, baptizing her, almost like they were the formulation of a new, fresh, unhindered beginning, with a new paradigm shift in her understanding.

She was loathed to admit it, but she had to because she knew it was true: Goku _genuinely_ loves Vegeta. _Truly_ loves him. He loves him _more_ and _better_ than her. How does she know? Because Goku doesn’t want any of that from him. He just wants _him._

_The same way he just wants to be a parent with Chi Chi._

Well if that isn’t just too fucking sweet.

Bulma finally came to acknowledge, for once in her spoiled life, that she is, for lack of a better word, shallow. She knew that she was, though, she just never admitted it. She knew she always had been, but why acknowledge it?! But she felt like, for the first time in a long time, she had room to grow, and as she stared down at her precious baby boy, she knew that coming to these realizations was a good thing, no matter how badly it hurt.

But there was still one thing that neither she nor Goku knew, and that’s what _Vegeta_ plans to do _now._

 _Vegeta_ _knows that she knows about him and Goku._ Hell, Vegeta probably knows that Bulma married him for reasons other than love! _Didn’t he even say, “Who said anything about love”?!_

What will Vegeta say to her about all of this?

What will she say to him? Especially after realizing that perhaps she isn’t as innocent as she played herself out to be.

She wasn’t sure she could stomach speaking to Vegeta right now, but she knew that Tarble was right, that it would help to have Vegeta give their proclamation to the people along with herself. Damn it.

She chose to ignore the fact that she was at odds with her husband for now, she was at odds with herself, too, and what with so much on her plate already, she was willing to postpone it as long as possible. It was made fairly easy to put off that conversation considering that Goku still hasn’t returned, but now it’s been over a week since Vegeta’s left, and Tarble was constantly checking his phone every two seconds for a message from him, or a missed call he couldn’t have possibly missed.

As the days passed, Bulma wasn’t sure her nerves were going to hold out much longer. It was a good thing she had a lot of work to do, and she allowed herself to remain as distracted as she possibly could be in the meantime. She still didn’t know what to do with her newfound insight, and everyone around her was terrified to bring up either Goku or Vegeta, except for Tarble, of course, but he hardly mentioned either of them anyways, and she was glad for it.

When would she be ready to admit that Goku’s speech, which they didn’t dare ask about, had such a profound impact on her? When was Goku going to come back?

A full two weeks have gone by and Tarble, for once, woke up pissed off. He spent all morning cursing in his native tongue under his breath. Bulma knew he was talking badly about Vegeta and while it made her smile a little bit, because she felt the man truly deserved whatever he was saying, she grew annoyed listening to it all the same.

“Why don’t you call him?! Or call and demand to speak with him, whatever. Surely he’s gotten a new phone by now,” she finally asked, tired of watching Tarble stomp around in much the same manner she’s seen Vegeta pace time and times before.

Tarble turned to her, eyes glaring, and retorted, “He said he would call _me!_ I know it may sound silly to _you_ but, believe it or not, he usually does what he says!”

Bulma rolled her eyes and focused back on the computer screen.

“On second thought,” Tarble said, slyly, “I think I will call him! But I want _you_ to talk to him.”

“What?!” She yipped, “You must be joking! He’s not going to even answer if he knows it’s me on the line! And I have nothing to say to him.” She was bluffing and she knew it, but she was nervous to talk to Vegeta all the same.

“Oh, yes you do!” Tarble argued, “You’re going to demand that he stops what he’s doing and tell him the plan for _this_ planet! The sooner we make the announcement the quicker we can get off this damn island! Besides, you two have marital issues to work out, and silent absences aren’t going to help you!”

Bulma argued, shocked by how blunt Tarble could be, but feeling obstinate, “I don’t care! I am NOT going to talk to him right now!”

“Yes, you will!” Tarble demanded, “Be the bigger person! You don’t have a choice and you know it! The very sun that gives this planet light will die before Vegeta’s stubbornness gives out!”

Bulma opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it. She knew he was right. If there was one person who she knew that’s more stubborn than her it’s her husband. She crossed her arms and huffed at him. Tarble grinned in response and dialed the line to the only person he knew that _might_ be able to get his brother to come to the phone without completely alarming him.

Vegeta had spent the entire day and night by himself deeply considering every single thing that’s happened. Everything. _Especially_ everything that happened ever since he met Kakarot. Ever since he’d met the man his life had slowly but surely spiraled completely out of control, and he was entirely certain that it was all Kakarot’s fault, and his own.

The conversation he overheard between his father and Bardock was, without a doubt, the cherry on top of an otherwise perfect concoction of misunderstandings, utter lack of communication, poorly hidden emotions, shoddy judgments, ignorant unawareness, and selfish desires.

He has never in his life felt more, for lack of a better word, stupid. He knew he wasn’t, though, and that he’s simply been out played, ingeniously so, but he wanted to know more about what Bardock has seen in his visions, and what he knew of his thoughts! And the thoughts of others!

Damn his father for holding such an ace up his sleeve, for thirty fucking years! And damn Bardock for being so sly! They deserve each other!

It was clear enough to him, now, that his father’s plans for him went well beyond that which he had _ever_ considered, and while he, at one point in time, thought that he knew well enough _why_ his father’s hand was so overreaching, believed that he _understood,_ and even, beyond a doubt, _accepted_ that fact, he now felt like nothing more than a pawn; a simple, movable, ignorant playing piece that had been, up until now, almost perfectly willing to consent to whatever task he was meant to perform.

 _Kakarot_ had been more aware of his surroundings than him.

 _Kakarot_ didn’t allow anyone else’s opinion to cause him to behave a certain way!

In fact, Kakarot completely _disregards_ any circumstances beyond his own desire to have a part in them!

Vegeta felt hallow inside, but not in the same way as he’d always felt empty. This was worse, and yet better? He had thought for so long that he was going after things that meant something to him, that would better him, that would vindicate him, but he was wrong about all of it, and everything he thought he gave a damn about before now looked like the future planning of nothing more than a child with trite, incomplete, and self-centered cognitive understanding.

He felt as though he was shedding a part of himself that he didn’t know he didn’t need. Somehow, allowing the bitter contents of his cup to flow out left room for something more meaningful and try as he might, he couldn’t put his finger on what, exactly, was brewing inside of that now vacant cavity.

He had to admit quite a few things to himself, painful things he wouldn’t dare consider under any other circumstances. Yet he welcomed this change, and he resolved that he would no longer allow his decisions to be influenced so casually, and by no means would he allow another man to persuade his choices.

The _only_ man that held any sort of sway over him was Kakarot, and Kakarot was the only person he revered enough to allow it. Even then, he only did so begrudgingly. He supposed that couldn’t be helped. One day will not undo the experiences of nearly forty years of a man travelling in one direction, but it can change his trajectory.

Vegeta roared with all his might, letting himself power up out here, all alone, with no enemy other than his own personal demons. As his ki rose, he realized that he was tired of holding it all inside. He was tired of keeping everything to himself. He was done with trying to maintain this perfect visage of an untouchable ruler. He didn’t want to play these never-ending political games.

He just didn’t care, anymore.

He didn’t care about ridiculous bureaucratic rules or outdated social standards. He didn’t care about how anyone perceived him or what his lesser oligarchy would think of him. He didn’t care about winning the respect of his people or pleasing his father for the small pat on the back he might receive in the long run.

He just didn’t fucking care.

He didn’t care if they all knew that he loved Kakarot. He didn’t care if they all knew he was bested by him. He didn’t care if they all knew just how badly he’d been played for a fool. He didn’t care!

He also didn’t notice that he’d turned into a Super Saiyan until well after he’d laid waste to the already crumbling warzone around him.

He felt a calm inside of him that he’d desperately needed for so long now, and for once in his life, even after he recognized that he’d become a Legendary, he laughed without spite, as he realized that he didn’t care about that milestone, either.

Kakarot was right, again; there are more important things to tend to.

He had no desire to go and speak with his father, still. At least, not right now. What he needed to do was figure out a way to mend the damage done to his people and their homes. That was the most important thing on his mind, aside from the family he’s created and separated himself from.

He couldn’t allow the suffering of his own people to endure without placing the responsibility of fixing it solely on himself, and whether his desperation to make amends was out of some misplaced ideas of his own shortcomings, or the pressures of becoming King, he couldn’t say, and he didn’t care, he just knew that it was the right thing to do. For them, and for himself.

So, instead of flying back to the castle, he flew to the nearest city he could, and began making demands and barking orders of how this whole thing was going to be rectified. He told several men from the city to head to the castle and request their aid, telling them to state their demands out of orders from him, the high Prince, and then he helped the rest of them clean up, and he helped them hunt for food, and he helped them build shelter, and then he went to the next city and did the same thing.

Over and over again, for a week, he did this, hardly taking any rest or time to himself, until he reasoned that he’d spoken to enough of his people, and righted enough of their stations, and clarified enough in his mind, to return to the castle, no longer completely consumed with his shame.

He decided to fly back into his hometown and finally speak to his King. Then he would contact Tarble. He did tell him that he would let him know when they’d arrived, but he didn’t tell him he would do it in a timely manner.

When he got back to the castle, his father was waiting for him in the throne room. No doubt he’d heard all about what he was doing, and he probably had scouts that alerted him that he was on the way.

Vegeta wondered what he was going to say for himself, but really, of all the plans that he had laid, he had made no plans for this. He carried on blindly, but reasoned that he would manage all the same, with the upper hand of knowledge his father, for once, didn’t know he had.

Already the castle was being rebuilt, but again, it looked nothing like it did before, and he felt strange walking into the mostly empty throne room that was usually filled with lights and artwork and a certain scent he’d remembered since childhood, but couldn’t quite describe. He would probably never smell it again.

Still, even as a chilling reminiscence of the old castle mocked him, the future King, he walked straight up to his father, and then he bowed, getting onto one knee, and then placing his right hand over his heart.

“Endulion…” King Vegeta said gently, “Why are you only just now returning to me?”

Vegeta stood up straight, his head no higher than his father’s as the great man sat on the throne. He could tell he has been sitting there for some time, no doubt brooding. He came by that trait honestly.

Vegeta replied, “I would have come to you immediately had it not been for the circumstances which demanded my attention on Earth, Sire.”

He watched as his father pondered his response, and then the King said, “Why did you even go to Earth in the first place? You gave little notice of your leave, or your intentions…”

Vegeta frowned, and wondered, “Are you insinuating that I had something to do with the attack, my Lord?”

“Not at all,” the King answered, “But I have been wondering if perhaps you knew more of it than I did...”

Vegeta suppressed a sneer, letting the denied suggestion linger heavily between them for a moment before he told him, “I went to Earth to see my son and for nothing more. I had waited long enough, and I had the means to make the trip at the accelerated rate Dr. Buro had been working on with Dr. Briefs and Dr. Gero, so I took it.”

“It was a hasty decision on your part…” the King frowned but nodded, as he said, “I’d rather you had been here, though, amongst your own kind, then there, protecting them.”

Vegeta didn’t reply. He didn’t feel he should have to, lest his father be suggesting that he didn’t want to defend his own kind, and the very idea was preposterous.

The King looked him over a bit more before shifting a little in his seat. Finally, he said, “And why didn’t you return immediately when you heard about what was going on here? Surely, I still have your loyalty, do I not? I’m handing over the crown to you, soon, you know. Are you considering yourself to be… wholly without the need for my guidance, anymore? Or, even, above my command?”

Vegeta couldn’t help but lift his head a little, almost sticking his nose up at him, and he glared thoughtfully at his King before he remarked, “Certainly not,” he righted his head though, facing the King more respectfully as he explained, “I would have come home, as I said, the moment I heard the news, but the situation there turned for the worse, quicker and more dire than we anticipated.”

“We?” the King asked, a quirk in his brow and a gleam in his eyes.

He thought he had him trapped, didn’t he?

“Yes. Tarble and the men you sent with him; ‘ _we_ ,’” the Prince elucidated cunningly. Then he took in a quick breath and said, “I do wonder, though, father, why you told the men to set up an attack against the Earthlings without even knowing _why_ , or more precisely _who_ they were supposed to be attacking? It’s a wonder your men left Capsule Corp. alone at all, given that you told them that Princess Bulma was to blame in the first place.” He paused, allowing his father time to digest his words, and eyeing him closely, gauging his reaction, if he would give any. Just when the King opened his mouth to speak again, Vegeta interrupted him, adding, “Actually, I think it’s a little strange that you would think I _would_ or _could_ hold any sway over them, when your authority over them is higher than mine. So how, therefore, could you possibly expect me to gather them and return to you when you had already given them orders to do otherwise?”

“They would have conceded to you had you told them that you would return back to this planet with them. That was _also_ in my commands,” the King replied, his voice lowering in octave, obviously annoyed at him. He explained, “But on the off chance that you didn’t, I gave my orders as a means of retaliation. Whether it was her or it wasn’t is inconsequential, but how was I supposed to know that it _wasn’t_ her who sent out the attack? And how, then, could I trust that she didn’t have _you_ ensnared, by means of holding your own child against you?”

Vegeta barked back in laughter that he simply couldn’t help and answered, “And you say _I’m_ paranoid! So now the female human that _you_ insisted I marry is as clever and as callous as Frieza, is that it?” He smirked, “You think I’d let something like that happen?”

“One does not simply ‘let’ things like that happen,” the King scowled.

Vegeta understood him. Still, he knew he was being manipulated into believing that his father had his best interests in mind, when really, the King was only trying to cover his ass by using any means of an excuse he could come up with. It _was_ an ingenious coverup, and while Vegeta knew that there was _some_ merit to his words, he wasn’t going to let it dissuade him back onto his father’s side so easily.

Vegeta nodded back at him, showing that he agreed, and that he would keep that in his considerations in the future, but instead of discussing that minor detail further, he argued, “Well, since you know now that it was not Princess Bulma who staged the attack, what else can I clarify for you, your Majesty?”

King Vegeta was eyeing him closely now, and he stroked his beard in thought before leaning forward and asking, “I’d like your account of what happened on Earth, of course. Your brother wasn’t nearly as thorough with his report as I would have liked, but I think he was distracted, and since he decided to stay on Earth, I don’t have the luxury of discussing these matters with him an intimately as I do with you.”

 _‘“Distracted,” yeah right,’_ Vegeta thought, and he wanted to roll his eyes as much as he wanted to thank his brother.

The King was saying, “I’ve been waiting for your return for some time now, and I must say, I am a little disappointed that you didn’t stop in to speak with me before going out to instruct the others, although I am proud of what you’ve done so far.”

Vegeta’s jaw dropped slightly at that. His father very seldomly said he was proud of him. It caught him off guard. Vegeta closed his mouth quickly though, staying focused, and he answered, a little dramatically, “My Liege! I came to speak with you when I first arrived, but I overheard _yelling_ between you and Bardock. I didn’t want to interrupt whatever that was about, and I certainly didn’t want to get involved. In fact, I believe if anyone else had been around to hear such noise they would have been cross to hear any man raising his voice to you. But I’m sure you handled it, and I wouldn’t venture to guess his reasons for behaving so _commonly_ with _you_.”

It took everything in him not to smirk as his father’s eyes widened minutely. It was a small tell, but a tell, nonetheless. The King must be considering if he heard what they were saying, and if he did, _what,_ exactly, did he hear, but Vegeta played it off as though he didn’t know anything more. Instead he told the King, “I figured that since you were busy, my time would best be used getting the reconstruction of our planet started. I was well rested from my travels, and I was eager to see for myself the extent of the damage those damn androids caused us.”

His father was still at a loss for words and Vegeta was loving every minute of it. He added, trying _not_ to be condescending, “It’s been a little over a week since I’ve come back, I believe, have none of the others who you sent to Earth come to speak with you, my Liege?”

“Yes, they have! And they have given me their accounts of what happened!” The King replied, his voice growing in decibel, “But I daresay you’re refusing to do just that! Are you avoiding my question, _son_? Is there some reason behind your reluctance to tell me what happened for yourself?!”

“No,” Vegeta answered smoothly, “I just thought that perhaps, with so many others expressing their version of events, that you would have gotten quite a perfect _vision_ of what happened while we were on Earth.” _‘Oh, the irony’s too much,’_ Vegeta thought, grinning inwardly. Still, he remained as visibly aloof as he could, as he added, “Besides, there is much that needs to be taken care of, and I’d rather not waste very much of our precious time in idle chatter, that is, if you agree, Sire.”

The King’s patience was being tested. Vegeta could tell his father was growing more and more irritated with him by the second, and it seemed that he was not as eager to hear the tale as he thought he was, because he hesitated to respond for a full two seconds longer than even Vegeta had anticipated.

The Prince was enjoying this, maybe even a little bit too much.

Finally, his father said, “I agree, but at the same time, I am parched for your time and starved for your company.” He sat back in the throne again and said, “Entertain me, then, if that is all you believe this conversation to be! Let me decide for myself if your account holds a more unique perspective than any of the others. After all, it is my understanding that for much of the time the men were there, you were elsewhere, fighting the androids…” he let the rest of his implication linger, that he knew he was with someone else while on the battlefield. He wanted a full confession.

Vegeta denied him any physical response other than a few simple breaths and involuntary blinking for a few moments as he considered his words. That was particularly well done of him to turn it back around on him like that, and Vegeta was taking notes for future reference, but the situation was more serious than that. For a second his old anxieties returned, but then he thought, _‘Fuck it,’_ and he opened his mouth to tell his father everything that had gone down on Earth.

So, he told him, “As you wish… When I arrived on Earth, I went immediately to see my son. I spent a good amount of the morning with him and her Highness. A little further on into the day I encountered Kakarot. The Princess and her guards allotted the two of us for some time to catch up. It was then that he informed me that he had been trying to get a hold of his brother for some time, but that he wasn’t receiving any response. At first, I thought nothing of it, but when I tried to contact you and Tarble the next day, I began to believe that something was wrong. Still, it was a busy time, and the days got away from me. By the time the Princess was informed of our communication issue, it was nearing midnight and we were detained. The next morning your men arrived and told us of the situation here.

“They dispersed quickly after they delivered the message, all except for Commander Raditz and Tarble, who stayed and listened to my account, my word against yours, really, debunking the idea that the Princess did this. Kakarot tried to help me convince his brother, and the Princess’ Guard agreed that it couldn’t have been her doing. We compelled Commander Raditz to believe us, as well as Tarble, after Kakarot and I explained that the creatures described were most likely the creations of Dr. Gero.”

“And how would Goku know about such a creation?” the King asked, vehemence in his voice as he said the other man’s name.

“Kakarot and I went to dinner with Dr. Gero when I first visited the Earth, father,” Vegeta answered nonchalantly, “I wanted to meet with the man, and I brought Kakarot with me. He _was_ my bodyguard, after all. He heard every detail of the discussion of the machines, but, at the time, the doctor said that they were not yet finished, and I told Kakarot not to repeat anything he heard.”

He saw his father’s eye twitch involuntarily.

Vegeta continued, despite slight hesitation rising within him; “After Tarble was convinced, he and Bulma went inside to Capsule Corp.’s labs to try and figure out a way to reconnect the broken signal between planets. I told her guard, and the Commander, to go out and try to bring back the men you sent to siege the planet. They all left, except for Kakarot. He stayed with me.”

Saying it out loud gave the moment a new meaning, but Vegeta still felt uncomfortable with his father’s calculating stare boring into him.

Regardless, he explained, “It was my intention, then, to gather the men and head back to Planet Vegeta, but Kakarot argued that we should find Dr. Gero first.” He hesitated, and then he said, “I hated the idea, and I told him I had no intention of staying.” Vegeta found himself with a suddenly dry mouth, but he swallowed, and persevered, “I told him that I was going to head back, but I knew I had to go and find Tarble, first, and speak with my wife.”

“What’s this about Goku disobeying your orders?” The King asked.

Vegeta knew it was coming.

“How dare he?” The King wondered, still waiting for his son’s reaction.

Vegeta replied, “How dare he, indeed, but I am grateful that he did.”

“Really?” the King wondered, and his eyes brewed a storm with intrigue and even a bit of contempt.

The Prince nodded, and after looking down for a moment, a body language he hadn’t intended to reveal, he looked back up and spoke with renewed vigor. “While I was speaking with Tarble and Bulma, we learned that the woman couldn’t simply reconnect the lines between planets, but that she knew where Dr. Gero’s labs were, and we considered that perhaps that was our only shot. Not long into our conversation, there was an attack upon the city. I told her, and Tarble, and everyone with them, to run, and I went outside to confront the foolish Saiyan who would dare attack that area. But it was no Saiyan. Kakarot was battling one of the androids… If I had left, there would have been no one but Kakarot and Princess Bulma’s guards to defend them.”

His story went on, explaining how they were able to destroy the machine, and that no one from the group of men from Planet Vegeta was responding. Then he discussed the need to flee, and the apartment balancing on an unbelievably high pole with the cat-man with the senzu beans, the trip to Dr. Gero’s in the cliffs, then, the fear for Raditz’s death, and even, the impossible, Kakarot’s ascension.

Vegeta paused at that point.

His father shifted on his throne and wondered, “So, it’s true?”

“Yes,” Vegeta replied. “Yes, it is.”

Then he continued, revealing the parts that his father _didn’t_ know, the parts where he used the senzu beans to try and gain that power that Kakarot had obtained. The parts where the two of them destroyed many of the machines together. The parts where at some points, it seemed like they weren’t going to be able to go on. And then, finally, the part where Kakarot saved his life.

“The men have named him their Captain. Did they tell you, my Lord?”

The King nodded, but he did not respond.

Vegeta knew he was sounding much fonder when speaking of Kakarot than he had intended, but it couldn’t be helped. The further into the story he got, the more he realized that there was no way he could possibly hide how affected by the man he’s become. It was almost becoming difficult to breath in between sentences when just thinking about trying to hide his feelings towards the other man.

He managed though, trying his absolute damnedest to remain unmoved, as he explained how he’d tried to hold the final blast off, and that when he was reawakened, they immediately went to this strange floating island, and he told the King that _that_ was when he met back up with Tarble and found out exactly how the androids were destroyed.

He spoke proudly of his brother as he told his father that Tarble had been the one to speak with the great Dragon that came forth from the Dragonballs, according to the others, and that Tarble and Bulma had been the ones to make the clever wish, and that Tarble had been the one to find the machine that destroyed all the others.

He suddenly ran short on words, though, as he finished that clause. His father was still looking at him expectantly.

A few minutes of silence passed between them. It was more likely only seconds that passed, but to Vegeta, it felt like an eternity.

The King demanded, “And so when did Tarble decide to stay back on Earth instead of coming home to me, hmm? Or did you tell him to stay on your behalf?”

Vegeta replied, “I most certainly did not. He made that decision on his own, for reasons of his own, but since Bulma’s quite pissed off at me, I couldn’t very well stay there any longer, and I had no intentions to, in either case. I was desperate to get back and find out what had happened here.”

“Hmm,” the King’s dark eyes pierced him, “And why is **she** upset with you? According to your reports, you and _Goku_ kept the androids from attacking her people long enough for Tarble and the others to destroy them. What could she possibly be angry with you about?”

Vegeta smirked, finding himself in just the right frame of mind at the moment to actually be a little amused by the whole thing, and he admitted, quietly, “It was all my fault.”

“What was that?” the King demanded, “What do you mean?”

“It was all my fault, my Liege,” Vegeta looked at him squarely, “After all, there must be someone to blame, and I’m the one who probably scared Dr. Gero enough into thinking that he ought to be afraid of us. I’m the one who brought this trouble upon our people, by marrying one of their kind and trying to assimilate the Saiyans into their populous. I’m the reason our people attacked hers, after all, you said yourself you believed that she could have been using my own child against me. And I’m the one who married her in the first place, knowing that it wasn’t in _my best interests._ ”

The King frowned, “How can you say that? Don’t blame yourself for this, my son. You didn’t cause this… Although you could have told _someone_ what you knew… I think the marriage was and still _is_ the best thing for you. We can come back from this mishap. All will be just fine.”

“That’s not the only reason she’s upset with me,” Vegeta added, finally gathering the nerve to confess his transgressions fully, “I wasn’t completely faithful to her in _another_ regard. She has every right to be angry with me, Sire. I’m finished telling you what happened…”

The King waited, holding his breath.

“I insisted that we head back to Capsule Corp. and leave, while at the same time we attempt to get back into contact with Planet Vegeta. We had no way of knowing what had gone on here, and I was itching to get back home. When we arrived, the whole place was hardly standing, but some of her guard was working to clear a path for us to get back into her labs. When they contacted her to let her know that I was there…” He felt himself go numb, but he proceeded, retaining his pride, “She said that she’d found out that Kakarot and I were something more than simple acquaintances. And to be perfectly candid, I cheated on her, with him, while I was there, and so she told me to go. She told both of us to go.”

The King’s eyes widened but he didn’t reply.

Vegeta felt a strange weight leaving him, and he straightened his shoulders and lifted his chin once again in an attempt to save himself from crumpling down and caving in on himself. He told his father, “When we finally got into the labs, that’s when Tarble said that he wanted to stay, for her benefit, and so that he could continue to work on the communication barrier, and he offered for myself and the others to go back at once. Everyone did as he’d suggested, except for Kakarot. He remained behind.”

“And why is it that Goku continues to refuse the orders of his Princes?” the King growled, “I know that you fancy him, for whatever reason he has such a hold on you, but you know very well that he must be punished for such impudence.”

“Punished?” The Prince smirked, “If you can think of a way to punish him, by all means, try your worst, but personally, I don’t think it will mean anything to him, and furthermore, if I’m being completely frank, I think the man should be praised.”

“Are you so infatuated with him that you find his disrespect amusing?” the King balked.

“Yes,” Vegeta cracked a small smile, “And no,” he clarified. “Do you think that I didn’t warn him that he was in danger of causing trouble for himself over his blatant disregard for my orders? I most certainly did, many times, even, but he has his reasons, and I respect him for them, and for everything that he’s done.” And then suddenly, as if he couldn’t stand to keep it to himself any longer, he blurted out, “I love him.”

“You… what?” the King asked, clearly stunned by his confession.

“Yes,” Vegeta nodded, “You heard me right. I love him. Not that it matters. He’s engaged. He’s leaving the guard. And his fiancé is pregnant. That’s why he stayed on Earth. He’s going to be a father, and family means a lot to him. You should know, you know how much Bardock’s sons adore him. Besides, he’s still in the Princess’ Guard, and she only has so many there to look after her, and a world that has no doubt turned on her.”

The King’s jaw dropped. It seemed that silence was going to end their conversation, and Vegeta even considered walking away and leaving it at that, but eventually his father found his voice again. He said to his son, “And so… you’re done with that, then?”

“Done with what?” Vegeta asked, suddenly growing tired.

“With _him_?” the King glared.

Vegeta considered those words for a moment before he declared, completely unabashed any longer, “Does the fact that he saved my life mean nothing to you?”

“Of course, it does,” the King answered, “But he’s a guard! It’s his job!”

Vegeta scoffed, “And the fact that he’s a Super Saiyan, do you find that information equally as uninteresting?”

“I…” the King hesitated, “No… it’s…”

“Impressive?” Vegeta offered at his father’s sudden stumbling. He couldn’t help but think to himself, _‘Tell him! Tell him you know about him and Bardock! Tell him you know about_ everything _! Tell him that you’re a Super Saiyan, too! Show him!’_

The King’s glare narrowed, “Impressive as it may be, you are married! With a child! And he is apparently well on his way to being the same! Do yourself a favor and let go of this ridiculous obsession you have with him. He clearly doesn’t feel the same!”

Vegeta didn’t reply, knowing that he’s probably not wrong. He could only stare his father down, deep in thought.

“Endulion…” The King said, minutely changing his tone to something less cold, “I understand that you may be enamored by him, but you can’t seriously be considering leaving your wife for a low-class soldier, or even a _Super Saiyan_ one. You said yourself he’s moved on, in spite of the fact that he apparently wasn’t so difficult to tempt…” he sneered, “This whole thing between the two of you is embarrassing.”

“Yes,” Vegeta remarked, “Yes, it is.” He didn’t say anything else, though, and he didn’t ask his father to clarify what he found so embarrassing about it. No doubt he found it _all_ utterly humiliating. Vegeta’s heart clenched in his chest. “Well,” he said, his exhaustion overcoming him, “I believe I’ve humored you long enough, and I have nothing more to say at the moment. I will take my leave of you, your Majesty…” With that, he bowed and walked away.

His father’s stare was still baring down on him, but the King watched him go, and in spite of the fact that they both knew the conversation wasn’t over, he let him leave without hinderance.

Vegeta was musing alone on the side of a cliff not too far off from the city and had been for some time now. He didn’t know where he could sleep so he resisted the urge, and he didn’t know what to eat, so he ignored the need. He simply sat and stared off into the sky, and into the landscape as he considered many things. Hearing the noise of someone approaching and crying out to him hardly even startled him at this point, although he wasn’t expecting anyone.

“Prince Vegeta!” the voice said urgently.

He turned and saw that it was none other than Bardock. He stood up and faced the other man with a look he couldn’t hide, but when he considered that there was _nothing that he could hide from him_ , he hardly even tried.

“Your Highness?” Bardock smiled down at him as he drew nearer. He bowed and then held out a phone, explaining, “I was told to give you this. It has Prince Tarble’s contact on it, he’s been calling asking for you, but no one knew where you were. I have been looking for you all day, ever since I’d heard that you had come back to speak with the King! It’s good to see you back and doing well, your Highness.”

Vegeta took the phone but didn’t reply. He lifted his eyes up to look into Bardock’s face, which was so familiar to him, and so similar to Kakarot’s, and he wanted to say many things, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice any of it.

Bardock seemed to understand. Well, of course he did. The man said to him, casually, though, “All is well on Earth from my understanding, at least, that’s what Prince Tarble has told me, but he is expecting you to get a hold of him at your earliest convenience so that some plans can be laid out…”

“I figured,” Vegeta finally replied and he put the phone away in his armor for now, facing Bardock still, and eyeing him in a curious manner.

Bardock’s keenness grew as Vegeta’s attitude seemed off, and upon reading his mind, Bardock sighed and said, “My Liege… Permission to speak freely?”

“By all means,” Vegeta answered, stiffly, although Bardock could sense a certain air of sarcasm in the words, and a tinge of distrust.

Bardock nodded and told him, “I know it doesn’t make much of a difference, but I’m sorry,” he shook his head, “I’m so sorry.”

“For what?” Vegeta asked, feeling rather numb.

“For sending Goku to Earth… in spite of you. I hated it doing it, but it was for the best.”

“Hn,” Vegeta retorted, “You and my father have both apparently spent so much time in conspiring about this foe… among other things. I suppose I can’t argue your point, but… Why didn’t you tell _me_ about Dr. Gero? Why didn’t you tell me about _anything!_ ” Vegeta’s question rose in crescendo with anger, and he felt himself losing control of his emotions, but he held on as he looked Bardock over.

Bardock reasoned, “These visions, they don’t work like that. It’s not like I see every detail,” he swallowed hard, “I only see bits and pieces. Believe me, I tried to tell your father- the King- I—”

Vegeta chuckled, and said, “Never mind. I get it. No wonder you two were at such odds and, yet such close confidants,” he scoffed, looking away, and admitted, “I can’t believe I never noticed it before.”

Bardock told him, “Well, we’ve… I mean, I…”

“No,” Vegeta turned away from him, walking back over to the edge. He could hear a bit of Kakarot in his voice. He couldn’t stand it. He said, “I don’t care. It’s fine. You did the right thing, after all.” The sting in Vegeta’s heart wouldn’t go away. He dared, “I would ask you what else you’ve seen but I don’t think I want to know.”

Bardock at first was silent, but then he came up beside the Prince and told him, “Honestly, for a long time there I couldn’t see anything… I couldn’t see anything beyond Goku turning into a Super Saiyan… It was like the visions just faded out. But, after recovering in the Regeneration Tanks, I did start to get some new ones. I’ve seen visions of him and his son.”

Vegeta turned and eyed him closely, listening.

“Raditz told me that he was engaged, yeah, after he got back, and that she’s pregnant, but to be able to see my grandson for myself before he’s even born. It’s wild. I hate that I have to keep that from him. But knowing that he’s happy, that’s all that matters. Even if he won’t be staying here with me, anymore.”

Vegeta looked away. His heart still imploding in his chest. So, it’s just as he’d suspected. Goku was going to stay on Earth. Permanently.

Bardock continued, “Of course, it is strange that these visions are coming to me, now, when they wouldn’t before. Something must have happened on Earth that changed the fate of our people. Something drastic.”

Still, Vegeta was silent.

Bardock offered, “You want to know about my visions of Frieza?”

“…Yes,” Vegeta admitted.

Bardock told him, “He was going to blow the planet up, and everyone in it. But you were going to survive. You, and Goku.”

Vegeta eyed him strangely.

Bardock chuckled in his normal charming way and said, “Yeah, I know, it sounds nuts. But it’s true. It’s what I saw. Planet Vegeta being destroyed… but in the distant future, a future apart from this one, I saw Goku, fighting, growing, becoming different. Eventually, I saw him fighting Frieza, and becoming a Super Saiyan… he would have defeated him, if things had gone differently. You would have been there, too… But when our fate changed, my visions changed, and I started seeing different things. But, plan as you might try, you can’t account for everything, and who’s to say some of the things we do aren’t the reason things turn out the way they do, right? Maybe we are making the very things that happen go down simply by trying to stop them from happening? Or maybe some things are certain, and no matter we do, they can’t be changed. Maybe some things are just… fated.”

“Perhaps,” Vegeta replied simply, and he would have been disbelieving of the man if he hadn’t been obsessing over this alleged, and now proven, power, for the past day and a half now. After all, he has been reading his mind since he got here.

Bardock chuckled again, “You know… I don’t always read people’s minds. At first, I did it without trying, but now I can sort of, turn it off and on at will, which is much better than it was, let me tell you. So, if you’re worried about me knowing _everything,_ trust me, I don’t. Some things I just don’t need to know. But…” he smirked a little as Vegeta looked at him, slightly smirking back, and he said, “Some things I don’t need to read minds to know. Some things I don’t need to see the future to know, either.”

Vegeta looked away again and refused to respond to that.

Bardock merely bowed and took his leave of the Prince.


	32. 32

Chapter 32

Vegeta finally dialed Tarble’s number the next day, but only after he’d finally gotten some sleep and found something to eat, and only once he had locked himself away from anyone else.

He heard the phone ring quite a few times before it was finally answered, and he was about to go off on a tangent about how getting a hold of him must not be that important since it took so long to pick up, that is, until he heard his wife’s voice on the other line.

“Hello…” she said. It wasn’t a question, like she didn’t know who it was calling, and it wasn’t a greeting, like she was enthusiastic to be hearing from him, it was a simple acknowledgement that she knew he was on the other line. She also knew, he could tell, that he wasn’t expecting it to be her.

An awkward silence later, Vegeta replied, gruffly, “Yes?” skipping the niceties. He already felt odd enough using the device for communication in the first place, especially under the circumstances. He wasn’t against texting as much, he just wasn’t one for talking on the phone unless he had to, and he was caught completely off guard by it not being who he thought he was calling. Not to mention he hadn’t even _begun_ figuring out what to say to her, with so many other things going on, he’d thought he could put this off a bit longer. Apparently, either she or Tarble felt otherwise.

After another pause he heard Bulma sigh, and even though they have spent plenty of time on the phone because of their situation, more than Vegeta ever cared for, and it was usually enough for him to be able to gauge her emotions through the line most of the time, at this moment, he wasn’t sure what was meant by such a noise. He couldn’t decipher if she was irritated or distracted or upset, but he assumed it was probably all three, and he ran a hand down his face to stifle his own grunt of disapproval.

Tarble was going to get an earful when he finally does speak with him.

“Listen, Vegeta…”

 _‘Irritated, definitely,’_ Vegeta thought as she finally continued to speak.

“… It wasn’t my idea to talk to you like this,” she admitted, “I would have put it off longer if I could, but Tarble insisted that we go on ahead and get this over with.”

Vegeta pulled the phone away and clenched it a little tighter than necessary, cracking the screen a bit. He considered chucking it across the room, but he refrained and put it back to his ear, hiding even his breathing from her.

“… We’ve been making some headway here in figuring out how to smooth things over, and fix some of the mess that Dr. Gero’s androids caused, but the press has been asking me for interviews and conferences and… Tarble thought that it would be ideal for _both_ of us to make a public announcement.”

Vegeta thought about what she said, clenching his jaw to keep himself from responding.

She sighed again, “We’ve been hiding out in one of my parent’s getaway homes, but I really need to get back to work, I have a lot to do here… Something has to be done to address the people. I can do it myself if you won’t be able to correspond with me, I’m sure you’re busy, but I’d prefer it if you would at least try.”

Presumptuous of her to think that he _wouldn’t_ , not that he _wanted_ to, but he knew that he _had_ to, regardless. He knew he was being manipulated into this, but more than that, he knew she was right. After another brief, awkward silence, all he said was, “Fine.”

“Okay…” she answered, and Vegeta got the feeling that she was biting back tears. Whether they were from frustration or anger or sadness, he couldn’t tell.

Vegeta rolled his shoulders, taking the phone away from his face again before replacing it, and he said, “How soon can you be ready?”

“What?” she asked, a little bit of surprise in her voice.

“Let’s do this today,” he grunted, “It can’t wait any longer. Tell me when to be ready to go on and I’ll do the talking.”

“Oh-okay…”

He heard some fumbling about through the line before she came back and said, “How does four hours sound?”

“Good,” he bit his lip, “I’ll text you the number to dial in for the visual conference. Give me five minutes notice before we go live.”

“Sounds good,” she nodded, he was sure of it.

“Good,” he said, hesitated, then hung up.

He knew that he’d just gotten off way too easy. She wasn’t going to let everything else slide, she’s just being professional, for now. He respected her for it.

He cracked his neck and headed out.

Goku was staying at the Ox King’s home and had been for over two weeks now. He spent most of his time with Chi Chi’s father, outside of the home, taking care of their beautiful land and helping out with chores. The Ox King was grateful for his return, and did nothing but praise him for his help, to which Goku blushed and told him that he shouldn’t. Their conversations remained small and superficial for the time being.

Chi Chi hadn’t been herself ever since he showed up, ever since she’d come back home, really, and she locked herself in the house for the most part, away from Goku and her father, and whether her father was suspicious of her behavior or not, he said nothing about it, meanwhile Goku was determined to convince her that he wasn’t going to leave her side through this whole thing. He stayed close but managed to give her some space as he respected her need to think things over.

She watched Goku as he worked, sometimes, like right now, but she remained indoors, the TV on the news channel as background noise to the whirring of her thoughts. Her father was in the kitchen cooking at the moment, humming to himself cheerily, and if things hadn’t come to her attention that the situation was less than ideal, it would have seemed like a perfect day, indeed.

She still hasn’t told her father about the baby, or anything about the situation, for that matter, because she wasn’t sure which was worse; the fact that she was having a child out of wedlock, or the fact that the man she was having a child with wasn’t even asking her for a traditional relationship like the one she had envisioned for them. Not anymore, anyways.

Goku’s confession of being in love with the Prince hurt worse than watching them kiss through the clouds that day. She supposed it wouldn’t have made it any better if the kiss had been out of lust, and she felt like she should have known that it was all too good to be true, and that they could never really be together, what with him being an alien and all, but for some reason, she was still clinging to the idea.

She looked down at the ring and thought about their conversation.

_“I’m sorry, Chi Chi,” Goku sighed, “I know that doesn’t make it any better, but I am sorry.”_

_Chi Chi was well over the tears for now, and so she sat motionless after listening to his explanation. It didn’t make any sense, but at the same time it all made perfect sense. She wondered, breaking her silence, “So, you were just trying to move on from him the whole time? You thought that maybe if you made a life for yourself here you wouldn’t have to go back and deal with the threat of losing yourself to him, again, but you did it anyways. I mean, you both did, didn’t you? You were never in love with me.”_

_“I guess, yeah, kind of,” Goku pondered her words, “I love you, but it’s not the same. I_ want _a family with you, though, don’t think I don’t. I just… I don’t know, I’ve always been this way… I never thought I’d be a dad so soon, though, and I’m not exactly the kind of guy that likes to be tied down, but I am the type to stay by your side. If that makes sense. But Vegeta and I, I don’t know, we- we never even got the chance to try it out for ourselves. A relationship, I mean. I didn’t get that we_ couldn’t _be together until after I realized that we_ wouldn’t _. But maybe that’s changed, now, and I’m determined to find out. I know it’s hard to understand. I know I’m asking a lot from you.”_

 _“You are,” she answered meekly, “You are asking me to be with you without being with you. Like I’m just supposed to hang back and know that you’ll be here, you’ll be_ around _, and you’ll provide for us, and you’ll love us, but it’s all a convenience thing with you, isn’t it? I’ll have to share you with someone else. Just like how I’ve learned to share you with your training. It’s a never-ending circle, and I’ll just be getting your leftovers…”_

 _Goku sighed and scratched the back of his head, saying, “Yeah, basically, yeah. I know it hurts but I have to be honest with you, I owe it to you. It’s not like there’s anyone else I’m interested in, just him, and I’m not even saying that there’s a good reason behind it. I told you that the possibility of him changing his mind is slim, and the likelihood of Bulma being understanding in this whole thing is doubtful, but I don’t want to hide it anymore. I never wanted to hide it in the first place. Now that I don’t have to, I’m not going to. I just want you to know that I_ want _to do the right thing, and not because I feel like I have to. I want to be here with you and with our baby, but I can’t promise you all of me, I just can’t, and if that’s not enough, maybe we can work something else out.”_

Three weeks is not enough time to decide how she really feels. She didn’t think nine months is, either, but she’s on a clock regardless.

She couldn’t help but feel foolish for falling for him in the first place. When she thought about it, how well does she really know him? Apparently not very well at all. She literally met him in the middle of the woods, and for some reason she found him so alluring, that she allowed herself to be wooed completely by him. She hasn’t even known him for a year. Would a few more years down the line with a man as aloof as him cause her more grief and heart ache than joy and happiness?

She knew the answer to that question is yes, and yet she’s still reluctant to call the whole thing off. She wanted a husband, she wanted to be married, and she definitely wanted someone who would provide for the household so she could stay home and raise their child. He’s willing to do all of those things.

She also knew that she’ll probably never find a man as kind and considerate, who listens and attends to her the way that he does. She’d probably never find a man who bends to her will just to make her happy the way that he’s been so willing to concede to her.

She wants a man who _wants_ to be a father like he says, and he’d be such a fine one at that, even if he isn’t there all of the time.

Who is she kidding, thinking she can trap a man who can _fly;_ a man who literally _saved the world?_ Shouldn’t he have a right to his own happiness, too, even if it means it’s not with her? Isn’t that what love is? Don’t they say that if you love something, you have to let it go?

She wasn’t sure how to go about the situation, but she knew that she didn’t necessarily have to do it alone. Maybe she could talk to Bulma. Maybe she _should_ talk to Bulma.

As though her mind had manifested it, the brilliant woman’s face popped up on the TV screen she had on in the background, and she only noticed because she heard her voice beginning to speak. She ran over to the set and turned the volume up, listening in carefully. It’s the five o’clock news. There’s an anchor on the split screen, saying something about the android’s attack. Bulma acknowledged that they would be discussing it in full detail. The news anchor said something else about switching to “live” and then she saw Prince Vegeta’s face come up, and both the Prince and Princess could be seen in their respective boxes, and the news anchor disappeared.

Apparently, they were about to give an important announcement to the planet.

She called for her father and Goku to come quick.

Then Prince Vegeta spoke, as concisely and as efficiently as one would expect, and the world was silent.

“Thank you for giving us the airtime and the opportunity to come forth with the proceedings on the most current events. As many of you are aware, there was an attack on your planet nearly three weeks ago. They were machines carefully crafted by none other than Dr. Gero, head scientist of the Red Ribbon Army. Androids, or Cyborgs, if you will, many made out of, or after, one of your own kind. We can’t be sure.

“Dr. Gero had been corresponding with Dr. Briefs at Capsule Corporation, as well as the late Dr. Buro here on Planet Vegeta at our headquarters in order to transfigure more efficient and timely travel arrangements between the planets. We succeeded, but we could not have known that Dr. Gero had ulterior motives behind completing the task.

“As a result of Dr. Gero’s thoughtlessly executed plans, my planet underwent an attack one week prior to your own, but we had no way of communicating our troubles to you, as the scientist himself had obstructed our communications at least one week prior to the attack. We suspect the break in the link was done slowly as to not rise suspicion, and I myself was on the way to Earth when the line fell through.

“Due to the battles waged on both foreign and home soil we have lost many, and our condolences go out to you for your troubles, as much as they hit home for the Saiyans of Planet Vegeta, but grieved as we may be, and concerned as we are, our pride remains strong, and our sentiments towards these troubles do not stop there.

“Because of the power and the fortitude of some of our finest officers, both men and women from Planet Earth and Planet Vegeta, we were able to take down the machines and reestablish the connection between planets. From here we will commence into rebuilding mode. Capsule Corporation, as well as the esteemed House of Vegeta, will be donating 10 billion dollars to the project, and we will continue to fund the regeneration of those business’s and homes lost until the ground beneath them is no longer marred with the depression of it’s memories, but the grandeur of it’s rebirth.

“At this time I am unfortunately unable to be there with her Highness, but she will continue to follow through with the decision making behind the scenes up until the point where she and I can make an appearance together, hopefully one marking the end of such devastation.

“I do not see this attack as one of a man who wished to scorn, so ignorantly, one planet’s population over another, and I see no need for retaliation on behalf of one man’s burdensome subconscious.

“It may better you further to know now that the Doctor is no longer with us, having passed away, ironically, from an explosion occurring at his own laboratories. I must confess it is the loss of a colleague I do not regret, and I feel it incumbent upon me to express some of the statements the man had made to me before his demise during the brief encounter that I had with him.

“So, in the chillingly mortal words of the Doctor himself, he had told me, ‘I’ve cheated death. I have proven that the life force of a human can be put into a machine. I’m a testament to the times. They mocked me and slandered me. They ridiculed me and doubted me. But look who’s laughing now?’”

The Prince paused. It wasn’t certain if he was reading after a script or speaking from his own thoughts, but at this moment he looked away, and then turned back to the camera with a serious gaze.

He said, “Look who’s laughing now, indeed. I will leave you all with this: Planet Vegeta is at a loss for words on the ‘how’s and ‘why’s that something like this could occur without our being able to protect the citizens of our own planet, much less the ones of yours, our allies, but we will never cease to learn and grow from our past, and we will never back down from an enemy whether it surrounds your land, or our own. May peace be afforded to both of our lands and our seas, and may our enemies fall to their knees before us.” He paused again, and then, with a gentler tone of voice, he said, “Princess Bulma will further answer your questions… Your Highness,” He nodded, “I must be going. Good day to you all, and goodbye.”

“Thank you, Prince Vegeta,” Bulma replied, smiling a little.

The news anchor that came back on the screen was quite flabbergasted. Bulma intercepted his loss for words simply and simpered away at the camera easily, discussing in only slight detail how she was going to further compliment her husband’s promises, before saying farewell and cutting her transmission short a few minutes later, declaring that she had important business demanding her attention.

The entire newsroom was stunned but went into a frenzy of excitement not moments after Bulma’s face disappeared.

Chi Chi smiled to herself, but she wasn’t sure why.

Her father said, “Well, he certainly is a serious sort of man, isn’t he? Is that the man who Goku’s mentioned before? The man he used to work for… My gosh, he’s Princess Bulma’s husband, huh?”

“Yes, Papa… Yes, he is…” Chi Chi replied.

Goku wasn’t in the room, he was standing just below the window listening to the whole thing. He had pulled himself up to get a good look about halfway through, but he dropped down at the end and thought hard about Vegeta’s speech. For once, not everything he said went in one ear and out the other, and it was nice to hear his voice and see his face. He couldn’t help but consider that the words he spoke with sounded a lot like the meetings he used to have to sit in on and boy, he sure didn’t miss those.

He smirked to himself at the thought but walked away and went back to working in the yard shortly after as he made a mental note that he should probably go back to see Bulma soon.

Another week passed by without a blip. The 50 guards the King had sent finally arrived, and Tarble and Felia intercepted them quickly. Thankfully, they didn’t land in a populated area, and luckily for the Prince, the King had sent out a transmission, which they received upon their arrival, explaining the change in situation. They were to follow Tarble’s orders, whatever those may be, and Tarble couldn’t help but grin at them all, grateful to finally have some solid help. They were ready and willing, after they’d heard the whole of the story, that is. Tarble didn’t begrudge them that much, and he didn’t hold back in his explanation, either, always giving credit where credit was due, and being quite frank with the details, most of them anyways.

Now that Tarble and Vegeta were in direct contact with one another, the plans for reconstruction were off and running and they were hitting no snags. Vegeta wasted no time. He sent twenty more Saiyans to Earth to help with whatever Tarble needed, as well as transferred whatever funds Tarble asked for, and Tarble made good on his promise of supplies, sending back a multitude of food, goods, technologies, and other materials through not only the ships the fifty men travelled in, but also the twenty pods from the newest arrivals. Vegeta in turn, dispersed what he ought to amongst his people, and then gave the desired items to the men who had come to aid the Saiyans, the ones from their ally’s planet. This trade and building project went on for another 3 months until everything finally began to calm down. The King allowed Prince Vegeta to handle all of the details of these transactions, while he helped his men rebuild and clear out the cities.

On Earth, Bulma finished up the last of the interviews she deemed necessary before focusing fully on repairs to the Earth. Well, almost fully. She now had plenty of new projects to work on, as well as several new Saiyan Guards and advisors to get to know. She was grateful, and it wasn’t nearly as overwhelming this time around. Neither did she feel so alone, now, at least, not when it came to managing all the paperwork and minute details. The advisors were brilliant with numbers and projections, and they were quick to warm up to her for her own genius. The guards were more serious than ever, but respectful and friendly. Bulma couldn’t quite say what it was, but it seemed like something was different. Not bad, just not the same.

She didn’t waste time thinking about that, though, since she had other things to tend to in the meantime. She had only been allowed to return to Capsule Corp. once to gather a few things, but Tarble told her and her family to get whatever they needed now, because they would be forced to stay away from the building until the renovations were completely finished, and he was unsure of when that would be, exactly.

During all of this, Goku finally came back to see Bulma, bringing Chi Chi with him. Bulma was surprised to see him, and she hardly spoke to him, but she was glad to see Chi Chi. The two women spent the entire day and night alone together, while Tarble, who smiled brilliantly upon seeing Goku again, introduced him to everyone and filled him in on what has been happening since he last saw them. The Princess’ original guards gave him his phone, which had his father’s and his brother’s number installed in it already, along with Chi Chi’s, Bulma’s, theirs, and even Tarble’s, which he was grateful for, and they gave him some clothes, as well. He thanked them, but they kept their conversation short.

The females were content for now to merely study him from afar as they thought many, many things. Conversation with the others about him, however, was never in short supply.

Goku was happy to find that some of his former colleagues were there, including Zuko and Halise, and he was caught up in several hugs and many strong pats on the back from them and some of the others, but the majority of the Saiyans now there, especially the ones he sort of recognized but didn’t really know, avoided direct eye contact and spoke to him with respect he’s never known before. It puzzled him, but he didn’t pay them too much attention at first. They even referred to him as “Captain” when speaking to him, which made him laugh, and he told them it wasn’t necessary, but they did it anyways. 

Once Tarble filled him in on his plans, Goku offered to pitch in to help and he did his best to stay on task but be available in case Chi Chi called for him. Chi Chi also received a new phone, which she was embarrassed to take, but Bulma insisted, and she offered for her to stay with them a while, and so Chi Chi wound up remaining there, and stayed close to Bulma for some time. The two women clearly had a lot to talk about and Goku and the others let them be, not wanting to stir up any more trouble.

As these initial three months passed, though, the Saiyans who were only now becoming familiar with the Earthlings, wondered who, exactly, _Chi Chi_ is, and with Chi Chi starting to show, the rumors quickly got out that she was pregnant with Goku’s child.

No one said anything to him or her about the situation, but, again, there was plenty of talk going on around them.

Zuko and Halise finally convinced Goku to get away for a night, claiming that it might be there only chance since they’re scheduled to leave soon. So, they went out to eat at a casual restaurant to try and pry some information out of their old friend. Goku was in a good enough mood and he was determined not to be bothered by anything.

One stiff drink in and straight onto another, Zuko asked him, grinning, “So, _Captain_ , have you heard from Commander Raditz recently? How are things going back at the castle?”

Goku smiled and waved off the surname, replying, “He says they’re doing well! The castle is just about finished, and some of the major cities are up and running, too, but he said it’s not the same.” Goku hesitated before taking another drink, then he sighed and said, “I wonder what it’s going to look like, now.”

“What are you huffing about?” Halise snorted, “You weren’t there to see the damage and you dealt with plenty of your own. Besides, I’m sure the King’s going to build up everything twice as large as before!”

“Which one?” Zuko elbowed him, “I heard Prince ‘King-to-be’ Vegeta is the one in charge of everything.

“This King Vegeta, that King Vegeta, what’s the difference?” Halise argued.

Zuko shrugged, “It’s the same thing, I guess.”

Goku’s eyes flicked between them, but he started on the food in front of him to keep himself occupied.

“Then why did you ask?” Halise contended, rolling his eyes, “Anyways, that reminds me, _Captain_ , care to tell us for yourself what really happened here?”

“Yeah,” Zuko chuckled, “Tell us how you got your new title!”

Goku smiled gently and answered, “I’m sure you guys already heard enough. I don’t want to talk about it…”

“I thought you might say that,” Zuko smirked, “Rictor always said you don’t like to talk about your emotions!”

“Rictor?!” Goku squawked, but he improved his expression and followed up with an innocent, curious question, “How’s he doing?”

“Good, good, he’s fine. Got hurt during battle, but it’s nothing a good old-fashioned Regeneration Tank couldn’t fix,” Zuko told him.

“Hey,” Halise interrupted, “I want some answers! No dodging the question, Goku! Come on! I thought we were all friends here.”

“We are!” Goku smiled. Nearly two drinks in now, and it felt strange to be a little buzzed. He told himself to slow down, but he couldn’t help it. It felt nice to relax, and he almost felt like he was back on Planet Vegeta for a moment.

“So, then why didn’t you ever tell us your dad was such a beast on the battlefield?” Halise remarked.

Zuko countered, “You’re the one who didn’t know who he was, you idiot. _Everyone_ who’s anyone _knows_ that Bardock is the man,” he shook his head, finishing his glass, “I think I saw him save the King’s life at least five times.”

“Really?” Goku asked, somewhat surprised. He hadn’t seen his father in battle before.

“Yeah,” Zuko grinned, his eyes on him, “Like father like son, hmm?”

Goku rolled his eyes and looked away as they ordered another round. When he looked back over at them, they were both looking positively smug. He laughed at himself a little before saying, “So, what did you two hear about what happened, anyways? Why are you both looking at me like that?”

“Oh, well, you know,” Halise glanced at Zuko, “We were just wondering when you were going to tell us that you’re engaged to Chi Chi and that she’s pregnant?”

Goku blushed.

“Yeah, and when you were going to mention that you and Prince Vegeta are _still_ a thing? Not that you ever were honest about that one to begin with,” Zuko added.

Goku sighed and answered, “Look, I don’t know what to tell you guys, okay? I mean, yeah,” he scratched the back of his head, “Chi Chi’s my fiancé, and she _is_ pregnant… it’s been almost 2 years since I’ve been gone!”

“Congratulations, man! Calm down! We’re not picking on you! We’re excited for you!” Zuko laughed.

“You speak for yourself,” Halise interrupted, “I mean, yeah, congratulations, but damn, you really know how to get yourself into trouble, huh?”

Goku couldn’t even reply, Zuko was already adding in his two hundredth cent, “Will you shut up, Halise? Let him talk! Goku, what the hell has been going on?”

“Were you and the Prince talking the whole time?” Halise wondered, pressing for information.

“Guys,” Goku blushed, “Listen…” They stared at him and he grew nervous, but tried to explain, “I… well, um…”

Zuko glanced at Halise.

Goku asked, redirecting the conversation back onto them, “How did you guys hear about all of that, anyways?”

Halise smiled, “Well, aside from the fact that everyone here is talking about it, we were on Planet Vegeta when the men got back… They all had to report to the King to give him their account of what happened here. They didn’t hold back. I mean, there was eight of them, right, if one lied, it’d be obvious, so they told him everything. And the King isn’t the only person they told the story to…”

“I heard the King really grilled them for information. There was no way they were going to be able to hide anything,” Zuko stated.

Nodding, Halise explained, “Apparently, the King was pretty pissed off when he heard about the fact that you went Super Saiyan, which I _need_ to see! But the fact that you _saved Prince Vegeta’s life_ … the men said he went ballistic when he heard that. Total maniac mode. Of course, then they had to tell him when they heard about the affair, and then, when you didn’t come back with everyone like Prince Tarble had told you to, they thought that maybe Prince Vegeta told you to stay behind so you wouldn’t have to face the King, yet, but rumor has it he’s going to call for you personally.”

“We already knew about Chi Chi from their reports, too. I mean, Commander Raditz was one of them, you know, and he’s ballsy, he doesn’t lie for anyone.”

Goku chuckled, brushing everything off with, “No, that’s my brother alright. He would never lie to the King…”

Halise glanced at Zuko, then back to Goku, “… That’s all you have to say?”

Goku only blinked and took a large gulp of his drink.

“That’s not all, though,” Zuko smirked, “I mean…”

Halize elbowed him hard, “Are you going to tell him, seriously? Shut up!” he glared.

“Tell me what?” Goku wondered.

Zuko and Halise shared a wordless conversation for a moment before Halise turned to Goku and said, “Tell me one thing, Goku…”

Goku eyed the two of them, waiting for the question.

Halise dared, “Do you love him?”

Goku licked his lips, holding his glass a little tighter. Taking a sip wasn’t going to make this moment pass him, he glanced at his food, knowing that taking a bite wasn’t going to change anything either, he looked back up at the two of them and decided that if he was going to be honest with Bulma and Vegeta and Chi Chi, he was going to have to be honest _about_ them, to everyone. He said, with a small smile, “Yes, I do. I love him. I’ve always loved him, ever since I’ve been lucky enough to get to know him,” he drew in a deep breath and said, thoughtfully, “I doubt I’ll ever get to know _all_ of him, but I’m going to try, and that’s just more about him that I get to love when I do. If I do,” he let out a small laugh, “I mean, I know it’s… totally crazy… but I look forward to seeing him again, regardless of the circumstances… I’ve really missed him. Still do. So… yeah…”

“… Wow…” Halise muttered. He looked at Zuko again and if Goku had been paying attention he would have noticed another silent conversation going on between the two.

Zuko turned back to Goku and said, “Well, damn! Rictor just won a pretty big jackpot off a good chunk of the Royal Guard because of you, you soft-hearted bastard!”

“Huh?!” Goku face was burning red by now as he came back to himself after confessing his feelings to two people that he knows for a fact aren’t going to keep it a secret.

“Yep!” Halise laughed, “We had a bet going on for whether or not you actually have feelings for the Prince! Rictor had a lot of people involved. No offense or anything, I was rooting for you to have more sense than that! Come on, he’s Prince fucking Vegeta!”

“Hey, you’re lucky we’re on Earth, you can’t say his name like that! I mean, I guess maybe _Captain_ over here can,” Zuko teased and the two men laughed.

Goku laughed it off with them but remained transfixed on his drink and getting another bite to eat. He’d said enough.

Zuko and Halise exchanged glances again, but they decided to turn the conversation over to other topics, rather than to tell Goku what else they heard. It would be one thing if Goku’s feelings for the Prince didn’t run so deep, actually it would be absolutely hilarious if he didn’t care at all, and then they could all laugh about how ironic the situation was, and move on, but the King’s ire was no joke. After all, The King only became truly mad when the men told him that the Prince confessed his love for Goku after he’d passed out from saving his life, but from what they said, when Goku revived the Prince, Vegeta would hardly look Goku in the eyes, and he didn’t dare repeat those sentiments to his face, much less in the company of others. Halise and Zuko didn’t think it would be right to tell him that the Prince apparently confessed to have feelings for him if Prince Vegeta had no intentions of telling him for himself or following through on them. If Goku was truly in love with him and hanging on to the hopes that Vegeta would return those feelings, then Vegeta would have to be the one to tell him for himself.

Three months have come and gone and already the castle and the surrounding cities are mostly finished. There is still at least another half a years’ worth of repairs to be done to the planet as a whole, but for now, things were shaping up quite nicely. Planet Vegeta’s allies have been an unbelievable help, and things are starting look brand new, and heading right on track.

The King was busy with many things, but his foremost concern seemed to be his impetuous plans for Prince Vegeta to take over the planet and there were rumors of a ceremony he was no doubt going to throw the moment peace was restored. The men that had been sent out to Earth were scheduled to return within the next month or so, and the King wasn’t wasting any time during their absence.

Prince Vegeta was busy, too, but he spent most of his time tactfully ignoring his father. Actually, Vegeta was ignoring everyone he could, at least, everyone that he felt reminded him of his shortcomings, which included all of the men who had travelled to Earth, Bardock, and anyone who he heard mention the name of a certain _Captain_ in the Saiyan Army.

He refused to stay on the phone with Tarble for more than five minutes at a time, resorting to texting often, and he hasn’t spoken to Bulma directly since that one day when he’d made that very humiliating public appearance. The King had told him to make a similar announcement to his own planet, and ever since then he’s been feeling strange and alone and oddly unlike he could ever remember feeling before.

He honestly didn’t know what to do with himself. The routine at the castle wasn’t the same as it had once been. His meetings were more serious and seemed to last longer than ever, but he still hated every minute of them, just as Kakarot had once said. He longed to be doing _anything_ else. His bodyguards, the ones that were left anyways, still followed him around, but he dreaded their company now more than ever, and he couldn’t quite say why. The castle was beginning to be filled with people all over again, but it meant even less to him now than it did before, and he didn’t know where this emptiness was coming from.

He spent a good amount of his time training in the Gravity Machine, which he was grateful had gone untouched. He did so just to get away, practicing transforming into a Super Saiyan over and over again as he tried to clear his head, but it wasn’t providing the same thrill or the same relief it had before. In fact, the machine reminded him of Dr. Buro, and Dr. Gero, and Bulma, and Kakarot, and it was not helping his sense of discontent.

Time dragged on. Another month went by, leaving still more cleaning up to do, but less of a mess left behind. By now, Vegeta heard that Tarble and the men sent to Earth were returning, all except for the ones placed there for Bulma’s benefit, and Vegeta was anxious for their arrival and the news he was sure he was going to hear of Kakarot and Chi Chi and Bulma and his son. How he longed to speak with Kakarot, and how he wondered how things were going between him and Chi Chi. How he needed to speak with Bulma and straighten things out with that fiery woman. How he missed his son.

Thoughts of his son plagued him now more than ever, and the pang and guilt he felt at not being there stirred his unrest.

It didn’t help that he often got reminders of his loss of contact with probably the _only_ important things to him anymore while he was helping to rebuild his planet. He often saw families of all kinds during these precious months and disregarding their praise or their gratitude was far easier than ignoring his own restlessness.

It was quite often, even, that he would catch a glimpse of Raditz rushing through the halls, chasing after his own excited three-year-old. The Commander and his wife were dedicating all of their time in the castle nowadays to help with whatever the King asked of them, by way of Bardock usually, and Vegeta saw him often in passing, but he always refused to stop and speak to him. It was always more bothersome to his mental and emotional standing to consider stopping to speak with him than it was to ignore him completely.

Bright and early this morning, however, when Raditz was seen running after his child, and finally managed to snag the toddler and hoist him into his arms, laughing, Vegeta couldn’t help but stop and watch.

Bardock’s words replayed in his head as thoughts of others bombarded his mind, _‘“To be able to see my grandson for myself before he’s even born. It’s wild.”’_

Vegeta’s emotions were getting out of control, and he knew that he should probably turn back, run away, avoid being seen, anything except stand there looking forlorn, but Raditz turned too quickly, and spotted him before Vegeta could do anything else.

“Your Highness!” he called out to him, bowing. Radom giggled as he was brought low and then back up within his father’s arms. Raditz came forward, saying pleasantly, “I haven’t really seen you around much, my Liege. Are you happy with what they’ve done to the place so far? It’s a far cry from what it was, but the additions certainly are something else, aren’t they?”

Vegeta shrugged and answered with his usual tone of disdain, “I suppose one could say that,” and he looked around as though to survey the now unfamiliar surroundings in scrutiny, but he knew that his face was portraying much more than observance.

Raditz’s subtle attempt at casual conversation was perfect, but Vegeta was more adept to shutting conversation down than not, and he fancied that he wasn’t a willing candidate for small talk today. Or any day. Or ever again.

When was the last time he ever just had a conversation with someone without trying to get something out of it?

“Ah, yeah,” Raditz sighed, “It’s not the same. I’m sure it’s going to take some getting used to.” His face showed all of the same innocence and ignorance that Kakarot’s usually holds with a tinge bit more of intelligence, but it seemed to Vegeta, something he never realized before, that both brothers, and their father for that matter, have a way of speaking so easily about matters so unimportant, that they almost seem to lack the ability to notice when another person isn’t interested in talking. And just like that, Raditz said, “Actually, my father hasn’t been home since all of this, but I’ve had a little bit of time on my hands, believe it or not,” he grinned at Radom, “I just went to his house just the other day and…” he trailed off, suddenly looking a little uncomfortable.

Vegeta refocused on him at his unexpected silence. “What?” he wondered. Before he was dreading the small talk but now, he didn’t know why, he just couldn’t take the silence.

“Oh,” Raditz hesitated, “Well, I don’t know why I was going to tell you… something about his house.” He shook his head, smiling a little bit, “It’s silly.”

“What?” Vegeta narrowed his eyes at him, a little intrigued, and a little lost, and a lot self-conscious. He didn’t care if what Raditz had to say was silly at this point, he just wanted him to keep talking. Anything to make this less awkward. Anything to get him out of his own head for a little while.

“Well,” Raditz smiled gently, “There’s a step, leading up to the front door, it’s been loose my whole life,” He laughed, “Ever since Goku and I were kids we would always just hop over it. We were so used to it being there and too lazy to do anything about it. My dad said he’d get around to it one of these days, but he was always so busy trying to make things work for us and coming and going from the castle all the time, so, I finally went over there on my time off and fixed it myself. I haven’t told him yet. Or… Goku… I know it seems silly. It’s just one of those things, you know? You always say you’ll get around to it, but,” he shifted Radom a little in his hold, “Well, I hate that it took something like this for me to finally fix it for him. I know he’s busy, he’s always worked so hard for us. Now, we’re all grown and we’re _all_ busy, I just… I guess I wanted to show him some appreciation… Not that he ever goes home… Yeah, I don’t know why I told you that.” He laughed a little in his discomfort.

Vegeta only grunted in response. He tried not to be reminded of Kakarot. He tried not to focus on the youthful face of Raditz’s child, or the content one of the Commander. He tried not to think about Bardock or Kakarot or his father or his brother or his own son. He tried not to think about how sweet Raditz sentiments were or how jealous he was of him in this very instant. He tried not to be bothered by hearing a story of such insignificance, but something about it was pulling at his heart. Something about it was bothering him in a way he didn’t understand. Something is wrong. Something just doesn’t feel right about anything anymore…

“Prince Vegeta? Are you… alright?” Raditz asked him gently. The Commander looked around briefly. There wasn’t anyone else around at the moment. It was pretty early in the morning after all. He wondering, cautiously, “Are you excited about everything going on, Sire? All this change- I thought it’s what you wanted. Maybe not quite like _this_ , but…”

Vegeta replied, his eyebrows drawing together in thought, “I’m perfectly fine, Raditz. I’m… I’ve got a great deal on my mind, is all.”

Raditz nodded and smirked a little, stating, “You haven’t really been yourself in some time, if you don’t mind me saying so. Maybe… you need a holiday. To Earth, perhaps?”

At first the Prince was surprised and annoyed, but this is Raditz talking. Raditz! He’s known him nearly his entire life! He’s been through so much with him! He’s seen so much of him! Vegeta looked away and smirked to himself as he considered the Commanders words and decided not to be affronted by them. His eyes drew back to him and he said, nodding, “Perhaps I do.”

He wondered what Raditz could be thinking, what Raditz thought was going on, what Raditz hoped would happen, but he couldn’t voice any of those curious questions. He simply told the Commander that he had some things to attend to and left straight away. Raditz only bowed and headed off in his own direction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for any typos or inconsistencies, and also I don't know where the hell Goku's perspective went. My bad. It's coming back, I think, but uh, just give me a second on that one. Thanks for reading and reviewing. As always, I hope you enjoy :)


	33. 33

Chapter 33

King Vegeta was waiting for Tarble to return from Earth in the throne room with several of his most personal officers. Nappa, Bardock, and Raditz were there, and Prince Vegeta, of course, as well as some of his guards and some of Tarble’s. Most of the men were antsy, but despite the full house, Vegeta waited with far more patience than his father did, partly because he knew that he wouldn’t be getting any alone time with his brother until their father was through interrogating him.

He didn’t mind the wait. He’d been doing quite a bit of calculated and rather decisive thinking lately, and he was feeling pretty damn good about his plans so far. Still, there’s a lot left to be sorted out and he needed his brother’s input.

Vegeta wished he could be present for the talk Tarble is sure to have with their King.. He imagined his father to be a little less serious with his discussion with him than he was with himself, though, not that it matters. Tarble always was his favorite, his precious “can do no wrong” son, whether he’d admit it or not. Vegeta knew his King considered him, his eldest and therefore, his replacement, to be the problem child, but he also knew his father blamed himself in part, and so he would never outright say it, but it was understood.

Talk about fucking issues.

Vegeta didn’t really care what Tarble reveals in their chat though. For once he wasn’t hiding anything. At the same time he knows that his little brother is cunning, and he won’t tell the King anything he doesn’t deem the King needs to hear, or more precisely, anything he hasn’t discussed with _him_ first. They are siblings, after all, there’s a sort of code that goes into these sort of things, and although Vegeta didn’t particularly care if Tarble told his father every dirty detail, since he’s already done so himself, he still assumed that Tarble would remain tactful and elusive.

The Prince couldn’t help but notice Bardock spare a gaze in his direction as they waited, and Vegeta wondered what he knew of his thoughts, and the thoughts of others. He returned his gaze for a moment before he looked away quickly.

He would have to find Bardock later on and hound him for information, if Bardock was willing to share any. They haven’t talked since that night he found him hanging out on the cliffside overlooking the cities. Perhaps it’s time for Vegeta to stop being so unavailable.

The King stood to his feet when Tarble came into the room with the rest of his companions, so did Vegeta. In seeing them, the King was impressed to find nearly the whole of his men back with him, which included all fifty of the men he’d initially sent, and half of the twenty men Prince Vegeta had sent. The other ten Saiyans that remained on Earth were the three advisors sent to aid the Princess and the seven new guards to help protect her. Tarble was a bit vague on who would be returning at what time upon his leave from Earth, but the King couldn’t have known that he did that in order to bring such a pleasant surprise to him.

The King welcomed them all warmly but with urgency, and Prince Tarble smirked as he was able to present his father with not only most of his men, and in better time than he’d expected, but with gifts of many kind, and he quickly explained how their arrival was so speedy, and what they’d brought with them as the men bowed and then presented the items.

Apparently Bulma had upgraded the pods the fifty men were initially sent in with the machinery of the new ones from Dr. Gero’s technology, and in their hands were many things, including blueprints for other projects she’s been working on. The King’s excitement rose. He quickly enlisted Bardock to get started on making some plans and upgrades to all of their current equipment right away. Bardock bowed and left, as Tarble’s men continued to present to the King food, materials, and goods for the people of planet Vegeta carefully bottled up in capsules. King Vegeta was beyond pleased, and he told the men to find his advisors and disperse the items accordingly while he asked to speak with Tarble, alone, dismissing everyone else immediately.

Prince Vegeta didn’t hesitate as he stepped down from his side of the thrones and passed his brother by with a respectful nod but nothing more. He knew that his conversation with his brother would just have to wait. Tarble eyed him as he passed, and returned the slight bow, but they said nothing to one another for now. They’d certainly be doing a solid amount of talking later.

For the next good bit of the day, the King and his youngest spent their time together alone and in deep conversation, and Tarble told him most everything that he wanted to know, and everything he had been doing, in great detail.

Meanwhile, Prince Vegeta spent some time wandering the halls of the mostly finished castle. The Saiyans there were preoccupied with preparing for a party later that evening, and the men who had just returned from Earth joined them happily. He watched as they ran about finding their colleagues and catching up, and although some of them ran off to find their families, some stayed and Vegeta listened as they remarked on the newness of the castle and the splendor of the Royal House, but he couldn’t help but feel that the whole ordeal was a bit ridiculous.

There were still cities in ruin. There were still people who needed their help. He didn’t care about a party, whether it was for a good cause or not. He was certain a bit of fundraising was going to happen, but he was just as positive that the rest of his people wouldn’t appreciate knowing that they were all celebrating just because all the Royals were now under one roof again. Sure, they were going to commemorate the end of this debacle, but the one person who should be among them isn’t, and Vegeta knew that without him, it just wouldn’t be the same, and it didn’t feel right.

He wondered when his thoughts of Kakarot had become so overwhelming that he no longer found any joy in things that he had, at one point in time, took pride from, and he had, at one point in time, taken at least some pride in his home. No matter. He was determined to remain unbothered, outwardly and internally.

He dismissed his guards as he noticed they were following him, and he continued to walk leisurely through the corridors, listening to everything the men were saying as he passed them. His guards seemed thrilled to get in on the conversation, as much as Vegeta was eager to hear what they had to say, but nervous to hear it all the same.

They were, of course, speaking of Bulma and the Earth, and of Kakarot, their new Captain, and the overall changes being made on that home front. They were saying only good things from what the Prince could surmise, but he didn’t linger long enough around anyone in particular to get the whole of the story, and he did his best not to feign interest in what they were saying as he passed them, even as his intrigue grew in spotting several of his own guards who had just returned that he knew were also some of Kakarot’s closest friends in the castle.

His advisor, Leno, came up to him as he walked, interrupting his eavesdropping, and he asked him all of the normal questions he usually does; what will he be wearing tonight, does he have any requests for music or food, is he attending the party alone, etc. but Vegeta told him to focus to other matters and to leave those decisions up to someone more interested, turning away from him. Upon second thought he stopped and told him that he would be wearing all black, and that he couldn’t care less what music was played or what food was served, and that he would, of course, be going alone, as he always does. He glared at him as he turned to leave and wondered, and not for the first time, why Kakarot had struck Leno that night so long ago, that night before their meeting with Dr. Buro, when Vegeta first told him what he really thought of him, and how he felt.

His thoughts were quickly altered as he kept going, and they bent towards Tarble. He intended on speaking to his brother directly about everything he wanted to know, and needed to tell him, as soon as he gets the opportunity, but as much as he was certain of what he had to share, he wasn’t sure what he would ask him, and he wasn’t sure what he wanted to know, exactly, or if he wanted to know what Tarble might say.

There were the typical questions: Are the human’s lives going back to normal? How are the businesses running? Is the economy having any trouble? Are the people still afraid of the Saiyans? And then there were the more personal questions: How is Trunks? Is Bulma still pissed? Is he no longer welcome at Capsule Corp.?

Or is he going to ask him about Kakarot… Does he still think of him? Does he care for him at all?

He knew his brother well enough to know that he won’t hold back if he sees the information getting a rise out of him, but he also assumed that he might not be as forthcoming as he would like if the news was negative. He would just have to deal with that when it comes time to make him talk.

Does any of it truly matter?

Vegeta’s been pondering these issues for so long, now, he doubted anything Tarble had to say was going to hold any bearing on what he intended to do about such issues. All is not so lost on him, or so overwhelming, that he is unable or unwilling to consider his own troubles thoroughly. He’s an obsessive compulsive neurotic type of man, to be perfectly blunt, and it’s obvious enough to himself by now that he’s going to do something about the situation, at any and all costs, but only time could say when. Timing is everything, and he’s wasted so much of it already.

His footsteps led him to the castle’s laboratories before long. He guessed that looking in on what Bardock was up to wouldn’t hurt anything, and his curiosity at this point was nearly unquenchable. This seemed like the perfect place to start his investigation into the details of things, at least any findings he has here will be innocent ones.

Bardock had managed to quickly gather together several of the castle’s top scientists and they were currently correlating their project with non-other than Dr. Briefs on a communication screen. _They_ weren’t wasting any time. Vegeta was actually a little impressed.

Bardock turned and smiled at the Prince upon noticing him, before bowing. The others were too engrossed in their conversation with the doctor to notice their visitor. Vegeta avoided being seen on the picture display and hung back in the shadows without making a sound. Bardock, either having sensed his discomfort or having read his mind enough to know, lead him quickly and quietly out of the room and into another one where they could talk in privacy. He closed the door behind them and locked it.

“Interested in these new projects, your Highness?” Bardock asked simply as he gestured to the blueprints and items on the table ahead of them.

“You tell me if there’s something I _should_ be interested in, Bardock,” Vegeta replied with a smirk as he walked over to the counter, running his hand over the paperwork. He was only mildly concerned with such schematics.

Bardock smirked back as he watched him and he got the feeling that the Prince was going to assume, from now on, that Bardock would know _exactly_ what he wants to hear about, if he has anything of interest to tell him, that is.

He couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit at the Prince as Vegeta turned to him and held his gaze challengingly. Bardock admitted, “Well, first things first, I was planning on tackling the pod projects. We have already begun that one, anyways, and we have lot of equipment begging for those upgrades. It will be well worth the effort once it’s finished, but we need more manpower, and more materials, so we’ll have to be strategic about how many we finish up first. But the blueprints that Dr. Briefs sent over are quite extraordinary, and even at a glance we could tell there is some promise to them, although it’s only in the early stages, hypothetically speaking, that’s why the men insisted on getting Dr. Briefs on the line right away. We have a lot of ideas of our own, too! But,” he sighed, “these things are going to take some time to translate into our planetary functions, unfortunately, and without Dr. Buro here to help, what with his own schematics on the Gravity Machine, not to mention his personal genius, we will need to bring in some people from outside of the castle’s expertise. I’m not saying those men out there aren’t good enough, of course, and it’s not that we don’t have the proper knowledge…”

“There’s simply not enough hands available to do the work,” Vegeta nodded, understanding. He told Bardock, “I believe that was part of my father’s plans, wasn’t it? To incorporate some of the planet’s finest into the castle’s team. Especially now that we’ve lost Dr. Buro and his men. And most of our own.”

“His Majesty has already invited a great deal of people to the function tonight, actually,” Bardock told him. The look of surprise that crossed Vegeta’s face was not lost on him and so he explained, “He’s been busy, perhaps not as active in the public’s eye as they might like, but he’s working on changes. Good ones, I think. We hope, anyways. With the loss of so many lives planet wide, he figured the best way to give back to their sacrifice would be to reward their heroism. Many of them might not show up, even after being so cordially invited with the promise of work and monetary incentive, but I am hoping they do. We made it clear they were going to receive a substantial reward, but,” he laughed, “I know that if it were me, I’d avoid coming to this place like a plague! Especially after what happened.”

Vegeta smirked as he thought about his words. He treasured how candid Bardock always spoke, even before their newfound understanding, but especially now.

So, his father has been making a list of names of the men and women who fought valiantly for this planet and was planning on inviting the warriors here and giving them a job to replace our own fallen soldiers. It’s a fantastic idea, really, but he wondered if the King came up with it on his own, or if he had someone else’s help.

“It was Tarble’s idea,” Bardock told him, reading his thoughts.

Vegeta’s smirk widened, but before he could allow Bardock to read further into his thoughts than he might like, he said, turning to look at some of the paperwork again, “And so you’re fine with this? This _grunt work_ he’s got you doing?”

“Grunt work?” Bardock laughed, “It’s been a long time since I’ve stepped foot into a lab to do anything other than speak to the head scientist! Nah, I don’t think of it as ‘grunt work’ and besides, his Majesty won’t keep us in here long tonight. He just wants us to come up with a game plan, that’s all. If a scientist spends long hours at his desk it’s because he can’t help it, not because he’s forced to, and I don’t mind, actually, I’m kind of tired of listening to them talk about what happened and what’s happening, and what’s going to happen. It’s like they’ve never seen war before.”

“ _Listening_ to them talk?” Vegeta asked smugly and sarcastically, glancing over his shoulder at him before adding, “Many of them _aren’t_ used to war…” he smirked down at the table, thinking of Kakarot, as he couldn’t seem to help doing. He took in a deep breath as he gazed over the numbers he could hardly comprehend, especially in his distracted state, and he considered what he was about to say before he admitted, knowing there was no point in keeping it to himself, “Kakarot once told me that he despised the Earthlings for changing us like they have; for showing us a life full of pleasantries and luxury and making our people as lazy and content as theirs. Not all of them, no, but enough, enough to make this revival more difficult than it has to be. Enough to render our kind dumb to the old ways of hunting and living, and most content when there is warmth they don’t have to work for.” He turned back to Bardock and said, “I didn’t tell him then, but I agreed with him. The Earth _has_ changed our people and their lifestyles, in many ways. Physically and mentally. I sometimes wonder what he thought of the castle- what he thought of the men and women that surrounded him while he was here- of their pompous attitudes and their much too casual perception of a lavish livelihood. They must have been so different from the army he was used to. The army that he loved. That’s what he’d wanted, after all, to be back in the Saiyan Army. He never wanted to be a guard. He never wanted to live here.” Vegeta turned away again.

Bardock listened and forced himself not to smile as he did.

The Prince was saying, “But now I think he may have changed his mind about a few more things. When I went to Earth, and we got our first taste of the battle with the androids, I was hell bent on returning home, but he begged me to stay. He spoke about the peacefulness of the Earthlings as though he wanted to maintain it, as though he _needed_ to protect it. It was like their insignificance had grown on him simply because they can’t defend themselves like we can. It was as though he’d taken the entirety of the population’s issues and placed it on his shoulders alone.” Vegeta paused, looking off to the side, and Bardock noticed his shoulders stiffen, before he finally resumed, relaxing a little, “And everything I’d ever heard about him suddenly made so much sense. His valiance towards his men. His thoughtfulness. His loyalty. And then everything he’d said to me about wanting _more._ More than to just make a living and live life. Yet, he’s a simple man at heart, isn’t he? But he craves battle all the same. Watching him out there, fighting like he did, holding nothing back, and having _everything to lose_ , but keeping his wits all the same. He argued with me in spite of myself, and _himself_ , determined to convince me that the battle didn’t have to go a certain way, that I could make my own choices. He was determined to convince me that we could win _together_ , and he was determined to save the planet if he possibly could…

“He saved my life. I’m sure you’ve heard, but I don’t think anyone understand… No one but the men that witnessed it, and none better than me,” Vegeta let out a small hallow laugh, and resumed, “But that doesn’t matter to him. He brushed the moment off like it was nothing and mocked his title as my bodyguard in the process. He didn’t care that he’d done something noble. No, he cares about what’s right, and what makes sense _to him_. He cares about justice, not about glory. He cares about vindication, not revenge. The battles became increasingly intense, and the thoughts and visions of death were jumping into our minds, being brought before our faces, taunted in front of us by our enemies. Still, he never stopped. He never backed down… You should have seen it. His ascension. The raw power he wielded, yet he remained the same. Steady. Calm. You should be proud.”

Bardock smiled warmly at the Prince’s back as he paused. He could tell the Prince was contemplating his son far deeper than perhaps he ought to be, and clearly this has been on his mind heavily.

Vegeta went on to say, “I’ve been in a lot of wars. So have you. We’ve run off to fight many campaigns. Purges. Genocide. Complete annihilation. You know just as well as I do that the prior war we were involved in was not what it seemed from the outside looking in. We took everything we could from those people and left them with nothing. No survivors. No pity. No mercy. I’m surprised we even have any allies, and I’m _not_ surprised that any culture would fear us. Perhaps we should have perished by Frieza’s hands,” he scoffed, his fingers trembling a little as his hands sat atop the table. Bardock could only listen, still, as he said, “I’ve seen destruction so much worse than what we witnessed there, and all my life I’ve been hardened by it all! Bitter and cruel! Callous and wholly without need or want for anything that could possibly tie me down and make me reconsider the cold hand of death when it comes my way, but as much as I’ve welcomed death I didn’t face it with the same attitude as _him_. And I have never seen another man let his emotions guide him the way that Kakarot does, and I thought I had seen every type of man possible on the battlefield. It’s not often you find a warrior like him. Someone who is genuine to a _fault_. Someone who would do anything to save your life, and yet shrug off the moment, while still finding thrill in the battle itself.

“I’ve had many bodyguards who’ve pledged their lives to protect mine, but they didn’t really mean it, and I never cared that they never planned to follow through. I never expected them to _have_ to step up to protect me, not like I had done for many of them, but even I didn’t save them to be considerate! I saved them out of selfishness in _not wanting to hear what others might say if I let them die!_ I’ve fought alongside many colleagues and even _friends,_ if I ever dared to call them that, but they don’t throw themselves in the fire like he did. Men don’t sacrifice themselves like he did. Most men are cowards. Most men are weak. Most men are frightened far too easily, and after the adrenalin and the bloodlust run out, they break under pressure. Even worse, most men are eaten up by their own cruel intentions to the point that when they are finally faced with death they either go out pitying themselves despite their wretched past or they deny everything and beg for forgiveness in an attempt to come back and extract vengeance. But Kakarot’s so different from most men. He’s not like that at all. His soul is somehow untainted by the ordinary carnal desires and attitudes of most men.”

He took in another deep breath as he stood up straight and expressed, “I must confess I don’t understand him one bit. I didn’t deserve his pity, or his sacrifice. I doubt I ever will. He’s a man full of contradictions and passions that are so different from my own, yet so similar and I—” Vegeta stopped talking altogether, as though he only just then realized that he’d been monologuing his thoughts of Kakarot to the man’s father.

Bardock replied quietly, after a moment of contemplation, “Your Highness. I hear you loud and clear, and I understand. Your sentiments are not lost on me. I am very proud of him, yes. He _is_ special. I believe you think so, too, and I am happy to hear it, but he’s just Goku to me. Strong, yes, passionate, for sure, and definitely unpredictable as I’m beginning to truly understand! Ah, but he is a bit younger than you, isn’t he, and I think he’s still learning, about himself, about life. He’s coming into his own, right before our very eyes, but if you don’t mind me saying so, you _both_ still have a bit of growing to do, don’t you think?”

Vegeta turned and glared at him, but he found himself lacking any true venom in his normally harsh stare.

Bardock told him, “War is not a way of life, your Highness. Kakarot knows that, deep down. But I think, as Saiyans, as _warriors_ , the two of you cling to the idea of a good battle. The challenge, the rush; your pride, it’s innate inside of you. Maybe it has a bit to do with your particular lineage,” he chuckled, “I don’t know, but you both definitely have that passion. There’s more to our reality than that, though, and I think you’re both just now coming to that conclusion, in different ways. I know it took me a long time to see life as something worth living. As something _more_ than a means to an end. Especially given our line of work. It takes some people a long time to figure out what they want out of life and when you see death so often, it can sometimes lead you into paths you never wanted to take. Or never planned to… Some people never really figure it out,” he sighed, “And the truth is, none of us know what we’re doing, not really, but when you find a purpose for yourself, that’s what’s most important, and sometimes it’s not what you thought you wanted all along. And it’s hard to balance your passions with your life, or to incorporate them into your daily routine without it being unconstructive to your daily life.”

Looking away again the Prince answered, “Yes, I’m beginning to realize that.” After another few moments, he turned around and brought his gaze back to Bardock as he told him, angry at himself for never having come to the conclusion before, “I don’t want to live in a cage. I’ve realized some things now that I simply can’t _unknow_. I don’t want to be plagued by my own demons forever, letting them fester at my thoughts, all the while blaming them as though I need some fucking crutch to place my self-loathing upon! I don’t want to be condemned to the decisions of others for the rest of my life. I am tired of being raised to be a dictator, while being dictated myself. I am tired of being in servitude, whether it’s to the will of another man, or the whims of another’s ideals, or the limitations of my own prior perceptions. I won’t allow it to go on any longer,” and he stood proud and stern as he admitted those things to his small, one man, audience.

Again, Bardock smiled, and he told him, “Yes… I know.”

Vegeta’s eyes widened and he felt- he didn’t know what he felt- as he realized that Bardock knew, before this conversation ever started, how it would end. He shifted a little, not as uncomfortable as he thought he might be at that conclusion, but still at odds with himself, as he said, “I’ve taken up enough of your time. You have a task to do and I must be going. I’ll be seeing you later tonight, I’m sure. Good luck in your endeavors.”

Bardock bowed and thanked him. He watched him go curiously but fondly.

It didn’t take long for Tarble to find his brother later on in the day, once he was fully finished telling the King everything he wanted to hear, and he called out for Vegeta just as he was exiting the training room he’d just abused.

Vegeta grunted at him but kept on walking, his guards close behind him.

Tarble told his own guards, which were tailing him, “Order some food for us, will you? And have it brought to my chambers. You may go do whatever you please after that. Enjoy the rest of your day. There’s a party to be had tonight!” They nodded and ran off.

Vegeta told his guards to leave him be, as well, and Tarble stepped in stride with him, a smile on his young face.

“Well! It is good to see you, brother!” Tarble cooed.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. “Let me at least take a shower and change before you bombard me with information that I’m sure I don’t care to hear! I hope your men order enough food for us.”

“Fine! Fine!” Tarble brushed him off, having expected his attitude, “Meet me in my room then! Thirty minutes! And don’t be late! I want to talk to you! We have a lot of catching up to do!” and with that he ran off.

By the time Vegeta showed up to Tarble’s quarters the food had just been dropped by and the brothers spent a good amount of time chowing down before either of them spoke a word. Vegeta needed replenishment after working out and the King had kept Tarble preoccupied in conversation without feeding him for so long that Tarble was famished.

Once their eating slowed down the younger Prince said, “So! I have been dying to hear if it’s true! Is Father really going to hand over the crown to you so soon? I must have heard half of the castle speaking of it during my short time upon returning today. And from what I hear, you’ve been taking some initiative with the people! They’re very pleased with your help! And with your knowledge! I must say, I never would have guessed you knew how to hunt like that, when did you even learn?”

Vegeta smirked, but ignored the last remark, “The announcement is not going to be done tonight if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“Oh, good! Because I would hate to not be told when the ceremony is taking place before anyone else! We are brothers, after all. But there seems to be a good deal of intrigue going on at the castle today about it and I can never be sure!”

Vegeta leaned back in his chair, eyeing Tarble closely, and said, “He hasn’t set a date to my knowledge and I would think that if anyone would know it should be me! He’s just putting things in order first, from what I understand, and I don’t care, to be perfectly honest.” He took a long drawl of wine before setting the glass back onto the table. He knew he ought to get a little loosened up before the proceedings later in the evening.

“ _You_ don’t _care?!_ ” Tarble balked, watching his brother in mock scrutiny, “You most certainly _do_! I _know_ you do!” He rolled his eyes, “Have you even tried to contact Bulma during all of this?! Or Kakarot even?!”

Vegeta’s eyes narrowed and his lips straightened as he replied, “No.”

“Whatever, I won’t push that subject for now,” Tarble answered, unbothered, and taking a swig of his own. He desperately needed to take the edge off after his long chat with their King. He went on to say, “I take that back- I wanted to talk to you about what you told our father of your experience on Earth! He seemed quite disturbed about the situation between you and Kakarot, and I tried my best to keep the information—”

“I told him everything,” Vegeta interrupted.

“You _what?_ Come again?” Tarble’s eyes widened and he looked him up and down doubtfully.

“I told him,” Vegeta nodded, quirking a brow but avoiding eye contact as he took another drink, “I told him everything. About the affair, about Kakarot’s ascension. Everything,” he smirked in reminiscence then his sly smile turned into an all-out grin as he said, his gaze sliding to Tarble’s acutely, “Actually, I have something interesting to tell you. Several things, in fact.”

“By all means what is it?” Tarble wondered, curious about his brother’s strange mood; he might even call it a _good_ mood.

Vegeta eyed him with a snake-like smirk before divulging, “Did you know that Bardock and our father are lovers?”

“No!” Tarble cried, nearly jumping out of his chair.

Vegeta’s smirk persisted, “Bardock knows that I know. He won’t deny it if you decide to test your luck with him. At least, I can’t imagine he would. He would know that I’m the one that told you, after all.”

“I don’t believe you!” Tarble ridiculed.

“I saw it for myself. It’s true,” Vegeta declared, “But I haven’t found a way to mention it to our dear father yet, so don’t you dare hint at it like I _know_ you like to do. _I’d_ like to be the one to call him out on it, but I’ve been refusing to speak with our King for more than two minutes a day if I can help it. He is, how did you put it, _disturbed_ by me at the moment.”

“You’re messing with me, right?!” Tarble argued, “Is this your way of spinning your love affair with Goku around on him in an attempt to make our father look ridiculous? Or to make _me_ out for a fool at having not even noticed?! It’s a cruelty I wouldn’t peg you for! And I’d peg you for quite a good amount of troublemaking!”

“No,” Vegeta laughed, “I wouldn’t dream of such a scheme. I couldn’t have made this up if I tried. They are together, and it’s serious.”

“Well damn!” Tarble laughed, “And here I thought I was the one having all the fun back on Earth!”

At that Vegeta’s heart stirred, but he moved the topic along, “There’s more…” he grinned, decisively changing the subject. He straightened out his smirk as he said, “But this stays between the two of us. I have no intention of letting it get out, for now, and I need your opinion! And utmost honesty! Do you understand?! And perhaps once I say what I have to say your information will seem trite, depending on what it is.”

“ _Trite!_ You have my attention! What is it?!”

Vegeta went on to tell his brother that he, too, has become a Super Saiyan and that he has some plans in mind for relaying that information further down the line.

After a while, he and Tarble were much too caught up in his proposition to his younger brother to truly discuss anything further, including what Tarble had initially brought him to his room to talk about. Tarble was too engrossed and thrown off by the topic at hand to bring up anything else, and likewise, Vegeta was much too nervous to allow the conversation to stray into details of what was going on back on Earth.

Eventually, as time was pressing, they parted ways to get ready.

The party that night went on without a hitch, but Tarble was preoccupied most of the night by his earlier conversation with Vegeta, and he was carelessly busy enjoying being at home, unbothered by anything at all, while Vegeta was estranged and far, far removed. He had much on his mind, and nothing in front of him could tempt him into joining in on the festivities with any sincerity. He only stayed long enough as to not bring on his father’s unwanted attention, and even then, just long enough to get into a fight.

The fight wasn’t intentional, but for once Vegeta was in the right place at the right time, and he just so happened to overhear from his place on the other side of a doorway as two of the men who got into a brawl with Kakarot in the training room were discussing what had actually gone on that day. They were talking with Leno and a few others whom Vegeta didn’t know very quietly. Vegeta leaned in closer to hear everything.

They were laughing as they subtly but arrogantly revealed the remarks they’d made to Kakarot about his relationship with Vegeta, and the mock passes they had thrown his way. They commented that they should have known Kakarot would turn into a Super Saiyan after the way he flew off the handle at them, but they maintained that they still considered him to be a “bitch”, and they joked about trying to court him again if they ever saw him, now that Vegeta was married and all.

Vegeta clenched his fists as he stepped a little closer and peered just barely out from behind the wall.

That’s when he heard Leno admit that he made a pass at Kakarot himself, and he scoffed as he talked about their scuffle at the club, as though it had been no big thing. Leno seemed certain that Kakarot had wasted his time with the Prince since he was getting married, and he declared that he ought to have wasted it on others more interested, but insisted that he was no longer partial the man in any way, Captain or not. Some of the men listening to their exchange stated that Kakarot probably hasn’t returned home because he’s afraid of the King, and they all chuckled again.

Vegeta couldn’t stand to hear Kakarot’s name dragged by such insolent men! He rounded the corner and kicked all of their asses before anyone could even stop to question what was going on, not that anyone would have stopped him, or could have, even if they had tried. He wiped the floor with each and every one of them, and kicked them all out of the castle, permanently in that moment. Of course, they’d have to be taken to the regeneration tanks, first, but the sheer and utter guilt on their faces was rewarding enough for Vegeta in the moment.

He was certain, as he left the party for the evening, throwing off his cape and running a hand through his hair in the afterglow of adrenalin, that he was going to be hearing about his outburst from his father the next day, but for right now he didn’t care. It felt damn good. No, it felt fucking _amazing_.

He realized he was being followed and immediately barked at his guards to leave him be as he headed to his room. His mind was much too consumed with personal thoughts of Kakarot to deal with the company of others.

If Kakarot had simply told Vegeta _before_ what had happened between him and Leno, or what had happened between him and the others in the training room, then Vegeta would have had the pleasure of terminating their contracts, sooner! But perhaps it wouldn’t have been so simple, then. Perhaps he wouldn’t have been able to do anything at the time, not without bringing more attention to their _association_ with one another. It definitely wouldn’t have been as rewarding as wiping the smug, conceited smirks from their faces and seeing their embarrassment and their shock for himself.

Suddenly, Kakarot’s insistence in keeping his personal battles personal, well, it turned Vegeta on now more than ever, and his blood was pumping in more than one way. He hurried to his room with growing frustration and a sexual hunger he couldn’t deny.

He’d have to remember to commend Kakarot for holding his ground against such men, and his tongue. Damn that independent man. He could have told him what happened. He should have told him what happened.

But he didn’t need to, did he? He didn’t need to call on him to defend himself. In a way, he’d been defending _him_ without him ever knowing! The thought drove him wild with lust he couldn’t shake.

Kakarot can take care of himself, can’t he?

But he can do it better.

_Fuck! The man is driving him crazy._

Alone in his room, _finally_ , Vegeta found himself aching for him in a strange way. His heart was pounding as he stormed about his room, shedding every article of clothing he wore. The pieces were too heavy, too hot, too constricting. He needed them all gone.

He needed Kakarot’s hands to replace them.

That gentle, yet power touch of his palms. That soothing, yet confident graze of his fingertips. That trembling, yet sensual contact of his skin on his. 

Vegeta flung himself onto his bed and fisted his erection. Damn it, why does he make him so hard just thinking about him?

Longing filled him unlike he wanted to admit, and unlike he could possibly ignore. He ran a hand up his length and let out a shuddered breath.

“ _Kakarot…_ ” he choked, his breath hitching in his throat, and his Adams apple bobbed as he repeated the gesture, stroking his cock again…

Nearly three months more have come and gone. The castle is finished and running full speed. Correlation with Capsule Corp is going strong and the news of that front was nothing but good. The cities are nearly finished on Planet Vegeta, ahead of schedule, and although food shortages were still a little bit of a problem, the handier men were teaching the people to hunt for game and their cities were surviving fine overall. The people still mourned the loss of their loved ones, both on Planet Vegeta and on Earth, but both planets were chugging right along, busier than ever.

The men and women that the King had invited to the castle did show up to the party, most of them anyways, and they took the places of many of the men and women who had lost their lives during the fight, and in doing so, wealth was spread to far out cities which had been formerly untouched by the King’s hand, except for law. This brought excitement to the Saiyans as a whole, and they praised the King for allowing such a change to take place. The oligarchy beneath the Royals had remained the same for so long this was a welcome touch.

The castle guards, the Prince’s guards, and the King’s guards, as well as their advisors and members of the Saiyans army, were all reevaluated and placed into their new proper positions as considered by the King, with the help of Bardock’s mental inquisition into each members respective actions and duties, of course. This ensured a brand-new set of men and women to watch over them and their loved ones, with proper respects to a job well done and the prospects of their growth within their new titles. The only difference in this rearrangement was the consideration for Prince Vegeta’s men, and the King allowed him first pick of anyone he’d like, even men who currently work for him.

The only member not yet accounted for was Goku, but the King was, well, he was waiting on that one. He was more or less buying time, really. He wasn’t sure what to do with Kakarot. Is he going to resign from the guard as Prince Vegeta mentioned? Should he even punish him at all? He certainly deserves the new title the men have given him as Captain, and the men _still_ talk about him as though he’s some sort of great legend already, but the King wasn’t willing to admit that to anyone just yet, including the man in question, and, in spite of the growing rumors of the trouble Kakarot was surely in the longer he went missing, the King simply didn’t have it in him to request an audience with him, not when he knew, as surely as Bardock was intent on telling him every other fucking day, that his son is due to be born within the next month.

Damn his love for Bardock. The King couldn’t help but believe that the third-class man was going to be the death of him one day.

Prince Vegeta had his own dilemmas to work through and he was at his wits end the more time went by. The only think keeping his attitude in check for now was that he had a plan in mind to make things happen, instead of allowing his life to play before his very eyes, and the day had finally come for him to execute his scheme.

Rumor had it that the King is planning on naming Prince Vegeta as the new King in the next few months. In fact, the date has been picked and the invitations were ready, they just haven’t sent out any of the summonses yet, but the party is undoubtably and unignorably underway. They were having a meeting later on in the day to discuss just that and Prince Tarble and Prince Vegeta were requested to join in on the conversation.

Prince Vegeta smirked to himself as he got dressed. He was looking forward to this meeting for once. He knew he’d put everything off for far too long, but he supposed that he did it for various personal reasons. Reasons even he didn’t quite understand, and probably wouldn’t understand for years to come. Still, it’s time, and as he looked himself over in a mirror and checked himself for his belongings for the hundredth time, he knew he was finally ready. Everything was in order and the plan was already at play.

He waltzed into the meeting, late, which was out of the ordinary for him, but he didn’t care. Besides, he didn’t plan on staying long.

“Endulion! I’m glad you could make it!” His father’s voice boomed from across the room as Vegeta ceremoniously entered, followed closely by several of his guards. They took their places along the walls as is accustomed, as the King was saying, “What’s with your attire?” and he chuckled. “Have you finally decided you don’t need to wear your armor every day within the walls of your own castle?”

Vegeta only smirked. His eyes gazed into his father’s amused ones, and then flitted over to his brother, who smiled back knowingly, and then to Bardock, whose eyes widened minutely, but there was a faint smile on his lips as he realized what was going on in that moment.

“Well! Take your seat! We don’t have all day! Unless you’re just so eager you can’t bear the thought of sitting still, in that case we’ll proceed with you standing!” The King joked. He was in a good mood. Vegeta hated to ruin it.

But he loved it all the same.

“Actually father I won’t be staying long and I have something important to say before we proceed,” he turned to the manuscript writers and said, sarcastically, “Be sure to get this all down, I don’t want any confusion.”

The King sat back in his seat, noting the tone of his son’s voice and the humor on his face and he watched Vegeta’s eyes lift to his once more. He wondered, crossing his arms, sensing danger, but not understanding, “Really? Where are you going? Have you made plans to celebrate? It’s a bit early, don’t you think? We’re only just now sending out the invitations today, you know. No one’s gotten them, yet.”

A few of the men and women in the room chuckled, but most were weary enough not to say a word or respond in any way as they watched the exchange.

Vegeta let them have their laugh. He even let out a small snicker himself right along with them, then he smirked, his eyes narrowing in pride as he imparted, “You should know me better than that,” he paused, milking the moment, relishing in it. Finally, he said, “I hate to disappoint, or to cause more work for everyone here, but you’ll have to have the invitations rewritten at once, my Liege. With _Tarble’s_ name instead of mine,” he looked at his brother fondly, “Prince Tarble is going to be the King of Planet Vegeta. We have already discussed it. I believe he will be a wonderful King,” he turned to his father again as everyone in the room sat in stunned silence, their mouths agape, as he told him directly, “I refuse to take the crown. Now I must be going. Goodbye, and brother, good luck.” He turned and walked out. His guards didn’t know whether to follow him or not and they stood there, astonished.

The King, after getting over his initial shock, ran after him, despite Bardock’s subtle attempt at getting him to stay. Tarble smirked at his brother’s showy escape and Bardock didn’t know what to do with himself as they both watched them go. The rest of the men and women all looked around at one other, blurting out, all at once, their shock and amazement and confusion at what had just happened.

“Vegeta!” The King growled, following closely after his son. Only just then did he realize that Vegeta was carrying a small pack with him, tied securely around his shoulders, behind his back. He argued, still trying to put the pieces together, and still hopeful that Vegeta wasn’t serious, “Where are you going! What is the meaning of this _nonsense?!_ Have you lost your fucking mind?!”

Vegeta was walking hurriedly through the halls and ignoring any onlookers. They weren’t brave enough to follow after them. He merely stated, as he kept going, “Not at all. I believe I was quite clear on the matter. Whether you forced me into Kingship or not, which you won’t, because you _can’t_ , I would immediately hand the crown over to Tarble, either way.” He kept on walking, taking backways to the pod that he’d readied before ever entering the meeting room. He explained, “Tarble is perfectly capable of running this planet. He’s handled every single detail of delegation between Earth and our home, as well as with our allies. He’s always been better at lobbying than I, and you know it. The people adore him. He has all the proper qualities and refinement that a King should have and more. So what if he’s not the stronger man between the two of us? It’s not like I won’t be here to fight for him if something happens. After all, _Bardock_ and the others are working diligently on the transportation pads. Once they’ve finished, I can come back at any time should the need arise. And I will visit, of course.”

Flabbergasted the King cried, still following him, but disbelieving, “You can’t be serious?! You’re just going to throw this all away! Vegeta! I won’t allow it!” He jumped in front of him, blocking his leave.

Vegeta stopped for a second and smirked at his father’s feeble attempts at stopping him, before zipping around him quickly without a word. He’d made it outside, finally, his route taking them away from any prying eyes, and his pod was already open and ready for him, the coordinates of Earth locked in.

The King noticed the pod, and in his rage he turned into a Super Saiyan and grasped Vegeta’s arm before he could get any closer to it, wrenching him back towards him, as he argued, “I am still your King and you will do as I say! You will **not** leave! I demand that you go back inside and tell them all that this was just a cruel joke you played on your own poor father for your personal, deranged amusement!”

Vegeta looked at the hand on his arm in an offended manner before he roared into Super Saiyan himself and yanked his arm loose. The stunned look on his father’s face was enough to make Vegeta’s _year_ , still he smirked and remarked, “Are you going to _demand_ that I follow your orders?! Are you going to stop me?! You and what army?”

“ _V-Vegeta?! When?! **How**?!_” the King stepped back in awe of his son.

“When?” the Prince replied, “When I finally realized what it means to _be_ a Super Saiyan. As for how, heheh, I think you know how. I’ve been training for some time! _Perfecting_ this form! Utilizing it constantly! Unlike you, who sits on your _throne_ all day! Would you like to test our strength? Or _your luck_?”

“What the fuck, Endulion?!” The King roared, but he made no effort to attack him.

Vegeta smirked. He took that as a refusal, and with it clear he wasn’t going to be contended, he turned and dropped the form, closing the small distance left between himself and his escape.

“Is this about Goku?! You’re going to Earth to try to _be with him_?!” the King questioned, still doubtful that this could seriously be happening.

Vegeta never answered, he simply took the bag off his back and flung it inside.

“Damn it!” King Vegeta cried in dismay, “Don’t go! You can still be King! Go back to him and cool off for a little while if you must, I don’t care! But please, don’t do this! You can still be King! This is your _home_ , Vegeta! I don’t care about your stupid affair with him! You haven’t thought this through!”

“On the contrary, I have,” Vegeta retorted coolly, turning to him one last time, and he said, gruffly, “I wouldn’t have cared about your _‘stupid’_ affair with **Bardock** but you still hid it from me, didn’t you?” The King’s eyes widened in guilt. Vegeta contended vehemently, “I’d rather live there, on Earth, with the humans, where at least I won’t have to live behind these shackles for walls. At least there I can be a recluse and not have to feel guilty about it.

“I’ve finally realized what’s been bothering me my whole life, and it’s not the grueling details behind being a King, I’ll still be one _there_ , and it wasn’t the temptation of turning into a Super Saiyan, I’ve accomplished that, haven’t I? No, it’s never been about that. It’s being tied down to bureaucratic rules that _I didn’t make_ and ideals that _I didn’t decide_ that hinder my happiness and my progress as a person, to be left alone to _be a person_ for once in my life! Not a machine, or a servant, or a vessel! I’m going. That’s final. I’m going to hopefully be with him, if he’ll even have me, but more than that: to be with my son, as a father to him as I haven’t been, and to be with my wife, as a husband, if she’ll even consider me. This doesn’t change anything for _you_. This doesn’t change anything for our planet! You can still _run off with Bardock_ like you’ve been planning and let Tarble handle everything. And I hope you do. I hope you find your own happiness at the end of all of this. Surely no one would argue that you deserve it. You’ve done so much for our people. It’s my turn, and Tarble’s turn, to take our own stand...” He bowed low before he spared one last long gaze at his King, then he hopped into the pod and closed it quickly. His takeoff was swift and complete.

The King watched him leave the atmosphere, gulping as he digested his speech. He dropped out of his Super Saiyan form and stood there for some time in thought. He could do nothing else.

Vegeta didn’t immediately initiate the sleep cycle. He had too much on his mind and he wanted, for once, to savor the moment and embrace the possibilities of the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter :)


	34. 34

Chapter 34

Bulma is finally back home at her newly renovated and extravagantly improved Capsule Corp. headquarters. It’s her dream home if she’d ever thought of one and not a far cry from a castle if she did say so herself. It was bigger and grander than before, with a well thought out floor plan and fantastic furnishings she thought she could literally die on and be happy. There were more bedrooms and guestrooms and bathrooms than before, more than they needed, even with so many staying with them, and not one, not two, but _three_ kitchens. There was a brand-new nursery, as well as a playroom _and_ a bedroom for the Prince when he gets older. There’s closet space and storage space she never thought she’d use, and that’s saying something. Her mother’s garden was rebuilt and enlarged, and filled with exotic flowers and the best equipment a woman with a green thumb could ask for, but above and beyond all that, her and her father’s workspace was upgraded and transformed into an area much larger and much better than the chaos it was, and it was filled with every tool, device, and material they could possibly need. Not to mention, there is privacy in every corner of the home, but a security system, including cameras, if she needs it.

Her parents were thrilled with the renovations and awed by the changes to their already enormous home, and so were her guards. Tarble had outdone himself. He even hired on cooks and cleaners, offering them an incredibly competitive wage which included time off packages. He even brought on secretaries to work under Bulma’s advisors to help with screening calls and cataloging paperwork, the public paperwork, anyways. He’d done a thorough screening process on the new hires of course, which helped many people get jobs that needed them, and assisted the Briefs in ways they never thought they’d need help before, but it turns out, with so much house, and so much publicity, and so much work to do, they truly did need the extra hands.

He instructed the advisors and the guards on what was to be expected from them, that it should be no different from how things go on Planet Vegeta, and that he’ll want updates and check-ins often. They promised to perform to the best of their abilities, and they haven’t missed a beat since.

Bulma didn’t know how to thank him, but she intended to try one of these days.

The Prince had told her upon leaving that she should prepare for more and more Saiyans to come and stay with her over time, and that, eventually, she might want to move her headquarters elsewhere, and have an even bigger house built, but for the present and the foreseeable future, he was certain he’d done well to make the home as comfortable and practical as possible.

She sighed to herself as she thought about Tarble and all of his wisdom in these matters. It all seemed to come so natural to him. The months he was here really made the time fly and eased the difficulty of every trial she’d encountered, but with him gone she’s been left more to herself than ever before, even with her family and her 12 guards and 3 advisors, and her cooks and her maids, and her secretaries, and Emeri, who Tarble sent after he’d gotten back, who is now _her_ personal assistant, and a very good one, at that.

This whole thing is just so strange! She’s still not used to all this change, and she’s still not completely comfortable with it. She still felt alone as a human in a house full of mostly Saiyans. Although, she must say, she felt very safe and respected, now more than ever.

In spite of everything going on, she did have some luck in her work with creating newer remodels of old technology, like upgrading the scouters that the Saiyans use to communicate so that they can withstand even higher power levels, and that they alert the user if there’s a link in communication down. She’s even been in direct contact with Bardock, who _is_ Raditz and Goku’s father, as she had suspected, and she’s come to absolutely adore him. He has been infinitely helpful with their newest projects, and always optimistic about their results, even when their tests fail, which they do, most of the time. She could tell, after so many verbal encounters with the brilliant man, where Goku gets his carefree attitude from.

She couldn’t help but think of Vegeta whenever she thought of Goku, and of his relationship with the man. Her mind kept constantly reminding her of it, going back to the moment she’d realized she had more problems than just what had arisen with the androids. She wished those issues had died along with the machines, but such personal complications weren’t as easy to dispel, or as easy to understand, apparently.

Pushing thoughts of Vegeta aside, because that particular problem is getting nowhere anytime soon, her thoughts went to Goku and Chi Chi. The guards informed her that Goku texts them every once in a while, and he seems to be doing good, but she hasn’t talked to him since he told her about the history behind the affair. At least she talks to Chi Chi often, so she knows she’s doing fine, considering. She’s been talking their problems over with Chi Chi quite a bit, but not a single moment of clarity has come between them.

Usually ignoring her personal issues, she stayed hunkered up most of the time with Trunks and with her father and she focused on the baby and her work more than anything else, unable to handle everything all at once. Her guards checked on her often, and helped out with whatever they could, meanwhile her advisors and their underlings took care of paperwork Bulma thought she’d never see the end of, and they scheduled and even prescreened her meetings for her. Emeri did pretty much everything else, even things Bulma wasn’t aware she wanted done until after they’d already been taken care of. Bulma was impressed with the way everyone has been conducting their business, and she couldn’t be more grateful for the help. She’s a proud woman, and she never would have given in to the temptation of having so many people around basically doing her job for her, and running the household at that, but she’s been feeling overwhelmed, with a baby to top it all off, and she knew that she needed the help more than her ego wanted to admit it.

This particular day has been a long one, but even with so much going on, she still got at least some down time. Whenever those moments occurred, though, as welcome and needed as they were, her mind still wouldn’t stop. There was so much to do, and so much to figure out, in her business, and in her personal life, and she knew it couldn’t go on ignored forever.

It was getting late in the evening, and she had put Trunks to bed before heading into the kitchen to grab a glass and a bottle of wine. She moved through her mansion, up to her room, intending to go out onto the balcony to get some fresh air and some time to herself.

Felia, who had taken over the position of head guard at Goku’s absence, since he’s going to be a father soon and has run off again to be by Chi Chi’s side, followed her to her room for her safety, checking in on her and Trunks one last time for the evening.

Felia was an awesome bodyguard, and an incredible nanny, even though she technically wasn’t supposed to be one, and she seemed to know when she was needed and when she wasn’t, and even what Trunks needed sometimes when Bulma was out of her wits trying to figure it out. Bulma had been meaning to talk more with Felia about the things that she knew, but the woman wore a mask that was almost as impenetrable as Vegeta’s, sometimes, and every time she thought to bring it up, she changed her mind, and decided she wasn’t sure she wanted to bother her enough to hear any of it.

Felia disturbed Bulma from her thoughts as she told her Highness that she would be available if she needed anything, but that she would leave her be for the night if she’d like.

Bulma thanked her and told her that, yes, she could go and relax herself and to have a goodnight, and so Felia left. Bulma sighed to herself. After setting the wine and her glass down outside on an end table next to her favorite chair, she went back into her bedroom and undressed down to her bra and panties, before throwing on a robe and going back outside onto her balcony. She hadn’t bothered to take her hair down or remove her makeup, yet, too tired to bother. She took a seat, leaning back in the plush, lounge chair she’s come to enjoy more often than not, she poured herself a glass and mentally reminded herself not to fall asleep out here as she began sipping on her drink leisurely.

She let her mind wander to many subjects, but she tried not to dwell too long on any of them, knowing that it wouldn’t do her any good to stress over things she had no control over, and she honestly felt pretty well at ease when she considered all the good that she has been able to do and all the progress that has been made in such a short time, but that was the only thing she felt good about.

She tried to turn her mind off. She was going to have to be as well rested as she could, and while this pressure was nothing new, it didn’t lessen her stress when she considered just how different her life has become in such a short amount of time.

It was hard not to think about _why_ her situation has changed, and although she was trying to clear her mind, her skin was crawling with thoughts of the man responsible for _every aspect_ of newness in her personal and professional life, the man she _still_ called her husband, even though she hasn’t spoken to him in over half a year!

She let out a huff of dissatisfaction at the thought of him and swallowed the rest of her glass of wine before she turned and refilled it. The rush of a buzz that went to her head was nice, and she leaned back and closed her eyes as she tried to throw thoughts of him out of her mind, and determined that she was going to lull herself into relaxation if it was the last thing she did tonight.

She spent the next half an hour attempting to accomplish that task and failing as she was finishing her second glass of wine, before she finally started to feel comfortable and loose. She poured a third glass and got halfway through with it before she laid back and closed her eyes again, again reminding herself not to fall asleep outside if she could help it. She should probably just go to bed.

“Bulma…”

Her eyes flew open and she sat up, her heart fluttering in her chest. She’d know Vegeta’s voice anywhere and that was _definitely_ him, but she didn’t see him anywhere. Had she made it up? Had she dreamt it? Did she doze off for a second or was it just a figment of her stressed mind?

“ _Bulma_ …”

It was softer the second time, but more distinct at the same time, and she froze for a moment before she turned to look behind her. Then she saw him, the impossibly _there_ man she’d just been thinking of, staring straight down at her from the doorway of her own balcony with his dark, rousing eyes.

Anger, as a default, came to her faster than any other emotion.

“VEGETA!” she cried, standing up quickly, which she immediately regretted because of her inebriated state, but the slight dizziness wasn’t enough to deter her, and she yelled, pointing her finger at him with one hand and making sure her robe was closed with the other, “Where the hell have you been?! And who the hell do you think you are showing up like this?! You have some nerve!” In the back of her mind she wondered why she even bothered to hold onto the robe, and she was grateful she still had on her makeup, as vain as the thought may be.

He didn’t answer. He didn’t even move. The way the lights from the moon and the city were hitting his skin almost made him look unreal, and she couldn’t be sure he was even there, especially considering his silence. The way he was staring at her had her mesmerized.

Still, she was pissed, and she continued, showing it by saying, “I haven’t heard from you in _how_ long? And here you go just _showing_ up at _my_ house in the _middle of the night,_ UNANNOUNCED!”

“Bulma…” He tried again and this time he moved, stepping forward, shaking off some of the ambiguity of his appearance as he dared to close the distance between them that Bulma desperately needed to keep there.

“Don’t you come near me!” she argued, waving one of her hands in front of her, as the other trailed down her hip, clutching still to her clothing. “I don’t want to see you!” she yipped, “I don’t want to talk to you! It’s not like you give two shits about me _or your_ _SON!_ **DO YOU?!** ”

“Lower your voice…” Vegeta growled, grasping onto her flailing arm gently and pulling her forward, closer to him.

Her breath hitched for a moment at his touch and their proximity, before she pulled herself out of his hold, shaking off his allure, and declared, “I will **not**!”

“Trunks is asleep,” Vegeta contended quietly, placing a hand over her mouth securely, but not in a threatening manner. She gasped into his hand, her mind everywhere at once, as he said, gruff but soft, staring deeply into her eyes, “And while I don’t mind you saying whatever you have to say to me at whatever volume you prefer, I don’t think that he would appreciate being woken up.”

Bulma scoffed, and even as she reached up to remove Vegeta’s hand from her face and jolted herself away from him, she couldn’t help but choose consideration for her son over hollering at him, regardless of how upset she was. She hesitated, wondering if he had gone to see Trunks already, and her heart panged at the thought. Did he… miss their son?

Still, she told him, vehemently, standing nearly eye to eye with him, “You don’t get to pick and choose when you get to care about him! OR ME! If you _cared_ you would have been here! If you cared you never would have left! If you cared you never would have _cheated_ on me!” She watched as he frowned, but he didn’t say anything. He just stared at her, his eyes seeming to pierce into hers, yet they were all over her face, too, and he looked like he was observing her. Taking her in. He inched closer, still silent, but she insisted on standing her ground, and she demanded, before he could get dangerously close, “What do you have to say for yourself, Vegeta?! You’ve had a lot of time to think about it! So let’s hear it! Do you even have anything _worth_ saying to me?!”

Vegeta waited for some time before speaking, and then finally, he shook his head and told her, “I could have vanished for the next ten years and it still wouldn’t have been enough time for me to think of what to say that might make you less upset with me. I’m guilty of a lot of things, yes, but that doesn’t mean that I don’t care—”

“That’s not good enough!” Bulma lifted her hand to push him away, but Vegeta caught it before she could make contact to his chest with her open palm. She struggled to get out of his hold, but he did let her go once she seemed to calm down. “It’s not okay, Vegeta!” Emotions other than anger were starting to build up inside of her, but she tried to shake them.

Still, he didn’t reply, and she couldn’t help but think that he looked contemplative, at least, but alien to her nonetheless, even unlike he ever has before.

Tears started forming, but she barked, “You fucking asshole!” shaking her head and blinking them back, “What do you want?!” her voice cracking, “Why are you here?! Why _now_?! You could have at least warned me you were coming!”

Vegeta chuffed, his eyes sliding to the side before falling back onto her, and he replied, “You told me to leave, but you’re angry that I did? And now that I’m back, you’re still pissed off? I left because I had to, not because I wanted to, or because you told me to, and if I had warned you that I was coming here, you might not have agreed to seeing me. Then I’d have to force you into it, because it’s not like you could have stopped me, and you’d be even angrier with me, then, wouldn’t you? I don’t understand the back and forth, but this is better; surprising you like this. You had to have known that I would come back.”

She resisted the urge to burst into tears, still, and instead disagreed, poking her finger into his chest, threateningly, “Better?! You sure are cocky, Vegeta! But you’re damn right, I wouldn’t have agreed to see you! I don’t want to see you at all! I have nothing to say to you! Leave! Get out of my house!”

“No,” he argued, grasping her hand gently. “Come here,” he murmured, reaching out with his free hand and pulling her to him again, this time by her waist. “Take a minute to calm down, woman…”

She couldn’t fight his impossible grip, and in her surprise she found that his presence, his familiar scent, and his strong hands wrapped securely around her were all so reassuring that the moment she was flush against him, something inside of her just broke down. She held onto him, incredibly tight for her frail body, and began to cry. She cried for all the times she’d held back her tears, and all the long days and nights she’d wished he were here, holding onto her just like this.

After a few minutes of sobbing into his neck she told him, “You lied to me, Vegeta. About everything! I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out how the hell I let this happen! How the hell I could have been so blind! All the conversations we had about our future! About _Trunks’_ future! You didn’t tell me it would be like this! That I was just a pawn to you! You didn’t tell me that you didn’t really love me! You had no intention of loving me!” she pushed herself away and added in disdain, “Were you _forced_ into marrying me, Vegeta? Tell me the truth! Even if you wanted to be here you _couldn’t_ , is that it? But you didn’t want to be here, anyways!”

He only listened.

She took his silence as admittance and she wailed, trying to shake him by the shoulders, but ending up only shaking herself, “I wish you would have just fucking told me, Vegeta! You could have just been honest about the whole thing right up front! I would have been able to walk into this like a business venture and not an actual relationship and I might have handled it better! But you lied to me! You coerced me into marrying you and promised me that I was going to be treated like a _Queen_ , but you didn’t mean by _you,_ did you?! You meant by everyone else! You don’t care about me! Why are you even here?!”

Vegeta only frowned and stood before her as still as stone.

Bulma’s face grew stern as she accused, “You’re here to see _Goku_ , aren’t you? _Aren’t you?!_ ”

“Yes,” Vegeta admitted quietly, “And no…”

She tried to strike him, infuriated.

He stopped her, clenching her wrist with steady power, but no venom, and he said, his deep voice rumbling, “I had good intentions with you, Bulma… I know you don’t understand. But I still have good intentions between us. I can tell you now that things are going to be different…”

“What does _that_ mean?!” she broke free from his hold and wiped some of the tears still falling from her eyes as she headed over to her glass of wine, her hands trembling. She picked it up and took a big drink before she turned to him and said, “And why should I believe you?! How are you going to fix _this_?! How are you going to make it better?!”

He didn’t reply immediately, nor did he turn to face her.

She shook her head, as she said to his back, “You don’t even want to be with me. Well guess what? I don’t want to be with you! This was a mistake and I want a divorce, Vegeta!”

He turned at that and looked her over for some time before he stated plainly, “That’s out of the question.”

“Excuse me?!” she yelled.

“This can’t be undone,” he answered evenly, “Divorce is not an option.”

“Bullshit! I’ll have my lawyers draw up the paperwork tomorrow and—”

“Whether you get a sheet of paper declaring it or not, I will never sign it. In doing so, Trunks would lose everything promised to him. This is why we never _did_ marriages on my planet before the Earthling’s began to influence our people. The only way out of a relationship involving children is death or spousal abuse. Infidelity isn’t abuse. The people on my home make it work if something else comes in between them. That’s the way it’s done. Especially amongst the Royals. I knew you were considering it, but again, I didn’t think explaining that to you over the phone would have meant much to you.”

“Yet another thing you could have told me BEFORE WE GOT MARRIED!”

“Calm down, you’ve been drinking,” Vegeta growled, baring his teeth as his temper threatened to surface. He argued, “Do you think I planned for this to happen?! Do you think I wanted any of this?! Or that Kakarot and I actually intended for our decisions to take it this far?!”

“Ha! No, you just didn’t intend to get **caught**!”

“It was an impulsive decision, but I can’t take it back!” He actually blushed, either that or his cheeks just reddened in his anger, and he said, “And unfortunately it’s not that simple.”

“You are nothing but a lying, cheating, piece of shit!”

Vegeta’s eyes narrowed at her and he remarked, surprisingly calmly, “Yes, I lied to you, Bulma, but don’t think you’re so special. _I lied to_ _everyone._ ” He looked away.

She rolled her eyes, sneered, and huffed, “Wow, you really do know how to make things better! What do you want from me?! Am I just some trophy wife to you? Am I just something _convenient_ to you?! You didn’t want to marry me at all, did you?”

“No. I didn’t,” he replied, his gaze shifting back to her, and he added, cruelly, “I never wanted to get married. Is that what you wanted to know? Are you happy to hear it?!”

Bulma’s bottom lip quivered, but she held strong to her vanity, and mocked, “So the truth finally comes out.!”

“This was never my idea,” Vegeta growled back somberly, “My father insisted on me getting married to one of your people so that we could form closer, permanent ties to the Earth, and so that I could finally have a child. An heir to the throne,” he threw up one of his hands before bringing it to his lips, where he swiped, as he considered his next words. He pulled his hand away and explained, “When he got the _brilliant_ idea, he took advantage of my situation because _I_ wasn’t interested in any one on my own planet and he insisted that this would be the best course of action to take. Kakarot didn’t come into the picture until later on. Believe me, I wasn’t expecting him to have had such an effect on me.”

“How touching!” She frowned, looking away as she heard him speak of Goku. Still, she wanted to know more. She wanted to know if what Goku said was going to be the same as his admission, but she loathed to hear it all the same. She licked her lips and took another drink.

Vegeta rebutted, finally showing a little more emotion, “How dare you stand there acting so surprised! You _knew_ I came here in search of a wife and you _knew_ my intentions for our relationship. I was quite clear on the fact that I wanted a strong Queen by my side, and you knew that I was going to choose one from Earth. And you knew that I wasn’t going to be living here. And you knew that I wasn’t going to available to you all the damn time. What did you _think_ I meant? Did I not tell you I would provide for you in _other_ ways?! And have I not delivered on my word? Maybe you just misunderstood what I meant, or maybe you just didn’t understand anything at all.”

“Oh,” she scoffed at his insult to her intelligence, “I understand perfectly! I understand that your lies were all I’ve ever heard! You married me for the Earth! So you could use my company to monopolize everything and turn our general republic into a dictatorship! And you told me that wasn’t your intention! And I _believed_ you!”

“That’s the inconsequential and inevitable future of our union and you know it. But, yes, I told you everything would remain mostly the same, didn’t I? And it has, hasn’t it?! But as a company owner you should be thrilled with the prospect of holding most, if not all, of the titles to the production of this planet, and don’t you dare tell me you haven’t even considered it, or that your reasons for marrying _me_ were all _innocent_!”

She turned from him and took another drink of her wine in quiet contemplation.

He went on, saying, “Have you even thought, for one moment, about what I’ve been going through this whole time? Do you have _any idea_ how shameful it was for me to have to choose outside of my own kind?! At my father’s persistence or not! I was ridiculed and mocked for even _considering_ one of _you_ as my bride, but politically I had no choice!”

“I’m flattered!” she growled over her shoulder at him, “Like the humans were fucking thrilled about my marriage to _you!_ ”

“ _My_ hand was forced into taking _yours_! I did what I _had_ to do! But _you_ , you took my offer willingly! For now, Earth has no dictator, and even with the coronation between us to become King and Queen here, your planet isn’t at _risk_! These minute details between us are nothing in the grand scheme of things.”

“Nothing?!” She balked, “Tell me, Vegeta! Just tell me the truth, all of it! Admit that your plan was never to be a husband to me! Like husband and wife _should_ be! Your plan was to rule over Earth _and_ Planet Vegeta, wasn’t it?! You were just using me this whole time!” She argued, turning back around to face him.

“Yes! I was! But it’s not like that, anymore. I’ve changed my mind about a great deal of things!”

“Yeah, right!” Bulma remarked, squaring up with him, “You haven’t changed your mind! You’re just trying to smooth things over so you can get what you want from me! Just like you always do!”

Vegeta flexed, and his fists clenched, but he was still trying to quell his rage, and he argued, “I am a full blooded Saiyan warrior! And I am the firstborn Prince of my people! I was raised to be a ruler! I was raised to be _King_! And you will respect me as one! I don’t have to _smooth_ things over with you! This isn’t a _curtesy visit_! And you should be considering yourself _lucky_ to even _be_ in your position!”

“How dare you?!” Bulma sniped.

“You act as though you’ve never seen me before!” He bit back, lifting his chin arrogantly, “As though this is the first time we’ve ever talked! Like you don’t know just like I do that your people fear mine, that they always have, and one marriage to their Prince isn’t going to change that! But perhaps it might, with time, make things better. Besides, you know damn well that if I wanted this planet, or anything from _you_ for that matter, I could take it by force any time I wanted.”

She tucked one of her arms beneath the other holding the glass defiantly, and quipped, defiantly, “Then what are you waiting for?!”

He roared, “Are you tempting me, woman?!” He collected himself, though, and his words rumbled from his chest as he countered, “This was a mistake by all accounts, wasn’t it?! As you so plainly put it! I should have told my father to forget his fucking plans, but I suppose that I thought, for a split second, that perhaps he was right, that I needed something concrete in my life,” he snorted in mock laughter as he added, “I contemplated it for nearly an entire _year_ before I actually came to Earth to make a decision. Of course, every single woman I met here was wholly without any redeeming qualities, whatsoever, but when I met _you_ , I was so impressed by you. I considered you to be far above your own people in so many regards and ultimately, I caved in and agreed, purely at the idea of having a woman like you by my side. You should take that as a compliment, although I’m sure you’ll find a way to twist my words. Maybe I was manipulative in my measures of achieving you, yes, but coercion is better than force, and I didn’t want a woman marrying me in spite. Regardless of my poor qualities, _that’s_ not one of them. But I was always upfront with you about the details of this marriage, Bulma. You can’t deny that. Even so, clearly neither of us really thought it through.”

“I guess you’re right!” she replied, her face flushed with anger and embarrassment, and she said the only thing she could think of, “I don’t know _what I was thinking_ in marrying you!”

He sneered and looked away, feeling exposed and drained by her and himself at the moment. He wasn’t used to talking about _emotions_ and he’s been doing a bit too much of it lately for his tastes.

“What about Goku?!” Bulma proclaimed, bringing his attention back to her and changing the topic, “You want to talk about a complete fucking shock! I can understand everything else. I don’t agree, but at least that much I _should_ have seen coming. But you want to talk about _respect?!_ You disrespected _me_ by _cheating_ on me! With _him._ Is that not supposed to bother me?! I’m just supposed to sit back silently and _deal_ with that, too?! Hell- I didn’t even know that you were _into_ men, which shows how much we really know about each other- but my own bodyguard?! _Really_ , Vegeta?! _Your_ bodyguard?!”

He glared at her but didn’t respond.

It didn’t matter, she was saying, “You acted like you had no relationship going on prior to meeting me but you obviously did! How long was it going on?! Ever since we first met?! You want me to think about what _you’ve_ been going through?! What about _me?!_ How embarrassing for **me**! For everyone to know that you weren’t being loyal to your _wife_! Even everyone _you_ surrounded me with! What the hell were you thinking?! That I’d never find out! That you could have us both?! One lover here and one back home?! Is that it?!”

He came closer, pouring out his perspective at his approach, “At first, yes! Yes! That’s what I wanted, it made sense to me at the time!”

“Fuck you! I guess that didn’t work out for you, did it?!””

“I never expected you to stay loyal to me with my being gone all the time and I wouldn’t have really minded, not that I would have wanted to know, but even though I suggested that idea to him, it’s not what he wanted!”

Bulma’s eyes widened and she was taken aback by that information, but she didn’t say anything in reply. She’s been dying to hear Vegeta’s perspective.

Vegeta delivered his explanation at her reticence, not withholding, “We didn’t have this perfect relationship you seem to have envisioned! We were never a _couple._ We _couldn’t_ be. It started out as nothing more than lust- an infatuation at best- but as it went on, when we realized we wanted more, when _I_ realized I wanted more, our circumstances simply wouldn’t allow it and I… He was unwilling to be a part of any sort of secret relationship, but since that’s basically what we had at the time, I kept pushing him into it. When I finally realized that it wasn’t going to work, and that I had no choice but to move on, I _tried_ to move on. The last time I even saw him before all of _this_ was _before_ I came here to get married to you, and I never thought I would succumb to him as quickly and thoughtlessly as I did when I finally _did_ see him again. Grahhh!” He shook his head and looked away, “You don’t understand! He drives me crazy. When I see him something inside of me just— You have _no idea_ the trouble that man has caused me. The pain he’s inflicted upon me while he goes out into whatever world he’s on and lives his life like nothing matters.” He turned back to her, adding, “My father sent him here to get him away from _me_ , because he didn’t want me to fall for some _low-class_ _male_. It somehow had become obvious that I had feelings for him, even in spite of me denying it, and trying to hide it, trying to hide that _anything was going on_ , and I suppose my father knew that Kakarot was _the only one_ I’d risk our marriage for. I could have never guessed how he knew, but he knew. I thought I was hiding it well, and maybe I was, but maybe I was so obvious to _my King_ because I had never been interested in anyone before in all of my life,” He paused again, embarrassed by himself, and then explained, “I know it probably doesn’t mean anything to you, but I never cheated on you with anyone else. Kakarot is _different_. Before him, and before you, I would have gone on _forever_ alone, and perfectly _, ignorantly_ content in such misery for the rest of my life if I could have. I was hollow and reckless and far less considerate, if that’s even possible, and it’s not that I don’t care for you or for Trunks, it’s that I _can’t let him go!_ This is not his fault! And it’s not yours! It’s **mine**!” Vegeta stopped then and turned away, mortified at his own outburst.

Bulma finished off her glass of wine while he was talking and poured the rest of the bottle in it. She was shaking all over, and she took a seat again on the chair she’d been lounging in to try and get a grip and stared into her glass. She wasn’t as surprised or hurt or hardened by his words as she thought she might be. Instead, she was reminded of Goku’s reprise, and while it irked her, and yes, it hurts, and yes, it’s difficult to hear, she knew it was coming all the same. She had a feeling deep in the pit of her stomach as she heard him speaking.

Walking over to the balcony’s edge, opposite from her, Vegeta gripped the ledge of the railing as he told her, “You want to know the truth? Ever since I first came here and we planned out our vows, I knew that my life would change. I was aware of that. I would become a husband and a father, and in some ways, I looked forward to it, and I tried to convince myself that the change would be good. That I was gaining everything that I was supposed to have in life, and that I could put everything in my past behind me; that all of my prior struggles would eventually just go away, but I was wrong. I should have known better. I don’t expect you to understand and I’m certainly not about to get into all the details with you, but I _need_ you to understand that being married to you and being a father _has_ changed me.” He turned to look at her over his shoulder, stating quietly, “If you think for one moment that I didn’t lose sleep over this you’ve lost your mind. That all those long-distance phone calls about planning for Trunks’ future and for our own lives meant nothing to me? Like we were just playing pretend?” he shifted, turning to face her more fully, and she finally lifted her eyes to him as he said, “I don’t just want you in my life, Bulma, _I need you in it,_ you and Trunks, both. I realized, especially with all my time away, especially after the androids… That I was missing something, and I never would have guessed that it would be a _you_ … My family… something I never thought I would want. I’m not a _‘family’_ type of man, but I _need_ to be one. I can feel it in my bones. The love I have for that little boy… my baby boy… And for you… It’s not going to just go away just because we aren’t getting along right now. When do we ever?” He smirked, and then swallowed, explaining at her constant silence as she glared at him with her vivid blue eyes, “I came here to tell you that, whether you believe it or not, and to tell you that I’ve made the decision to give up the crown of Planet Vegeta to my brother, so I can stay here permanently. I did so just before I left.”

She sat up a little, her voice barely audible as she asked, “…What?” and it was evident she doubted him.

Vegeta told her, “I’d rather be here. You see, my father’s plan backfired. He thought that I would be less caring of the situation. That I’d be happy to have you here, out of sight, out of mind, but well taken care of, available to me whenever I wanted you, and raising our son, with help, of course. And he thought that having one son would spur on my thoughts of another, and that after the coronation, I’d eventually take advantage of my position as King of Planet Vegeta, and choose one of the women back home to bed with, then I’d have an full blooded heir through those means, and a son to rule both worlds. I knew his plans. I’d thought of it already, and I’ll admit that I even thought I wouldn’t mind it so much. By all accounts he _should_ have been right, and perhaps he might have been, if it weren’t for you, and for Kakarot, and all that I’ve learned about myself recently. No, that vision for my future is not what I want. I need to be here. And yes, I plan on seeking out Kakarot, and telling him how I feel, and attempting, beyond all hope, to make things right with him. Even if he turns me away, which he most likely will, as he should, I’ll still be much happier here than back home. So understand me when I say this: Kakarot has nothing to do with you.”

“What?!” She bellowed, “That’s! Worse! Than! I!” she jumped up to her feet and stared him down, challengingly, “What the hell does any of that mean?!”

“It means that my problems with him aren’t ours,” he answered stiffly.

“Like hell they aren’t!” She flailed, “Aside from all the other bullshit you just said- which I cannot _BELIEVE_ I just heard!- Do you love him or not?!”

“… Yes,” he admitted.

“Then you can’t love _me_ and _that’s_ a problem, Vegeta!”

“Do you love me, Bulma?” He asked, pushing off the railing and suddenly coming closer to her.

“I…” she fumbled as he stepped towards her, not having expected that question.

“Do you?” he pressed, coming ever closer. His dark, brooding eyes were on hers with a somber seriousness as he questioned, “Why _did_ you marry me, Bulma? Out of _love?_ ” he cocked his head to the side a little as he observed her.

She shivered at his proximity and his words.

“Can you honestly look me in the eyes and tell me that you love me beyond all measure?” he pressed, “That you couldn’t go on without me? That you’d be crushed if something happened to me? …That you would _die_ for me?”

She hesitated as she found herself nearly eye to eye with him with no answer.

“I didn’t think so,” he said at her silence, watching her face before locking onto her eyes. He smirked and explained, “And I’m okay with that, because I’d rather, if something did happen, that you moved on. I’d rather, if by chance, someone capable of actually harming me threatened my life, that you _wouldn’t_ intervene. Trunks needs you. This planet needs you. Your people need you. But there are some things that _I don’t_ need from you. Don’t let that confuse you into thinking that I don’t care for you, or that I think that _you_ don’t care. For all your stubbornness and pride, I can see right through you. You are so much like me in those ways, and I respect those traits. And I respect you, whether you feel that I do, or not. Your life is precious to me, and I would do anything to protect it. I care about you infinitely, but our relationship is not the same as the one I share with _him_.”

She pouted and glared, but Vegeta wasn’t intimidated.

“As for ‘that bullshit’ as you put it, I can’t imagine it would be so difficult for you to understand…” he remarked, “Did you ever consider _why_ I hesitated to get married for so long. For love or otherwise? …Why didn’t _you_ , Bulma?”

Again, she couldn’t speak.

“After all, you come from money, imagine more coming from _Royalty._ Everyone pawing at you, throwing themselves at you, declaring their obsession for you, professing their love for you. But none of them really mean it, do they? They don’t even know you. They don’t even take the time. And you can never really be certain if _anything_ you say or do really means anything to them. Or if anything they say or do is the truth. No. They just want your fortune. They want your fame. They want your power. And it all comes from the name, doesn’t it? Briefs…” he brushed his hand across her chin, lifting it, as he expounded, “It’s nearly as powerful here as being a Vegeta, isn’t it? So why _shouldn’t_ I have stayed single and did just as I pleased for as long as I could? And why shouldn’t I have considered all of my options, even after matrimony, when I believed that I would never get a chance at anything genuine to begin with? Didn’t you say for yourself you’ve been proposed to before? I’m sure you have. And I know why you turned them away. But I’m sure you had your fair share of fun in the meantime, didn’t you? And I’m sure you would have continued to turn them all away, because either they were never good enough, or you were never convinced that they actually cared for you. And I’m sure you believed that in marrying me, you were marrying into a family with the same problems as yours. And at least _that_ would be something we would never argue over.”

Bulma’s previously stern gaze melted by the second.

“I didn’t walk into this marriage blindly, but perhaps I did walk into ignorantly. I thought that committing myself to you wasn’t going to change me like it has, that I wouldn’t be considering things like this, but it’s opened up a world to me that I had never even thought to acknowledge before. I’ve never had anything to keep me grounded, to hold me down, or make me accountable, and I did that on purpose, but the moment our son was born everything changed, including my love for you. The way you’ve conducted yourself. The way you are… I can’t walk away from this. I don’t want to and I’m not going to. And regardless of how I deeply feel for you, as I’ve said before, Kakarot and I have unfinished business that has nothing to do with you or our son.”

After long, awkward moments of silence, she finally spoke, and she threw her nose in the air at him, jerking her chin from his hold as she turned away, her back now facing him, and she said, “Fine!” She couldn’t help but agree with him, maybe not about everything, but about most things. She isn’t done deciphering everything he’d just said, but she knew that, overall, he made _perfect_ sense. Fucking prick.

Besides, she knows damn well that Goku loves him. She didn’t feel right trying to get in the way of that, especially not after hearing his explanation, and especially when she knew, beyond a doubt, that she already has everything else she could ever want from him. Still, she didn’t plan on telling _him_ that. _Any of it_.

“…What?” he asked, surprised by her outburst.

“Fine!” she said again, declaring as she turned back around, looking him up and down, “I get it! And I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I _do_ understand! But this conversation isn’t over, Vegeta, not by a long shot! If I’m going to be your _Queen_ , you’re going to give me everything you promised me! _Everything_! Nothing less! You go test your luck with Goku! I don’t care! But let me be free to make my own personal decisions for myself if that’s how it’s going to be! I’ll be your wife! On paper! In meetings! But I won’t be denied the same freedoms as you! I deserve to be able to make my own decisions about _my_ happiness! If you’re going to live here and be a father to our son, I can’t stop you! And I honestly don’t want to-” she faltered, “I need you here! I just want you to be honest with me! And to be good to Trunks!” then she added, “And I want _everything_ you promised me! I _demand_ it!”

Vegeta smirked, and looked at her with pride as he replied, “Spoken like true Royalty. It shall be done. It’ll be my pleasure… But for now, I’m not going anywhere, at least not for a while. Kakarot can wait. He has enough going on, and I can only handle so much at one time. Besides, I’m sure tomorrow is going to be interesting. My guards are no doubt having a field day about this whole thing with the rest of yours as we speak.”

“Your _guards?!_ ” she balked, confused.

“Yes, I brought three with me,” he chuckled to himself.

“But I thought—”

“Just because I denied authority to rule my home planet doesn’t mean I’m not still the high Prince. Nothing has changed. Yes, I brought some guards with me. For show more than anything, really.” Of course, she didn’t understand what he meant, but it didn’t matter. He was feeling some type of way.

She smiled a little in spite of everything as her now much less-inebriated mind was still processing everything, and she said, “They’re probably down there talking about us right now…”

“Definitely,” Vegeta smirked back.

“Great,” Bulma rolled her eyes, lifting her glass of wine to her lips.

“Perhaps that’s not something I warned you about properly…”

“No, no,” she sighed, finishing off the rest of her wine, “I’m used to it by now.”

Vegeta grew even more proud of her resilience, and he said, gently, “It’s getting late, and we have a lot to plan for in the meantime. Trunks is having a birthday soon, is he not? I made sure to come back in time…” he was looking away as he’d said it, but when his eyes lifted back to hers, she saw something vulnerable in them. He asked, “I did, didn’t I?”

“You remembered his birthday?” She wavered, and laughed mockingly, but she was exhausted and emotional, and she looked into his eyes oddly. He was being strangely sentimental tonight.

He didn’t reply, too busy trying to gauge her fluctuating moods and hide his own.

“Vegeta!” She faltered, considering him far more fully than ever before, and she flung herself into his arms, overwhelmed, “I’m so happy to see you! Everything has been so hard! And I just don’t know what to do with myself, especially when I’m not working! And I’ve been so angry with you! And I’m still a little confused! And I’m hurt, but I understand! Gosh! What am I supposed to say to everyone?! What am I supposed to do?! I’m so tired! So tired! And so alone even with so many people. I’ve needed you here! You can’t leave me again; do you hear me?! Trunks deserves better than to have a broken home!”

“Bulma…” he choked, holding onto her firmly as he whispered, “I’m not leaving. Everything will be better. I know it’s bad, but it’s not broken. It’s damaged, maybe, but damages can be fixed. I’m learning that the hard way. It just takes time… and someone willing to repair it.”

She clung to him tighter, but eventually she wondered, pulling back, and sniffling a little, “So you really aren’t going back?”

“I’m staying. For better or for worse. Isn’t that how the saying goes?” he quipped sarcastically.

Narrowing her eyes at him, she snipped, “Fuck you, Vegeta,” but she smiled as she said it.

He smirked, and held her tight, but didn’t reply. She didn’t say anything else to him after that, she just held onto him tight, and took a deep breath.

Vegeta told his guards, Rictor, Halise, and Zuko, to keep their mouths shut if they knew what was good for them, and not to mention anything about his arrival, or about his intentions to stay, or about his refusal of the crown, or anything at all for that matter, to Kakarot whatsoever. He’d told them that before they left, when he’d first proposed his plan to move and take them with him for Kakarot’s benefit, since they so clearly adored each other, but he told them again today, since he didn’t think repeating it would hurt. He also advised them to avoid the man for now, regardless of how badly they wanted to see him.

They were allowed to message him, of course, casually, as they had been, but they were not allowed to mention that they were on Earth. Vegeta had been quite clear on his plans in bringing them with him before they ever headed to Earth, and they were thrilled with the idea, then. They didn’t want to jeopardize their good luck if they could help it, or Vegeta’s luck, and they wanted to do everything they could to stay in the Prince’s good graces. He’s been incredibly thoughtful recently.

Vegeta was too distracted to be fully concerned with them, though, and it seemed that they were settling in just fine in the meantime with the rest of Bulma’s guards, but that never really concerned him. Kakarot was the only wild card left in the game, and he wasn’t playing to lose. He wanted to give Kakarot some more time, though, he needed to give Kakarot some more time, and he needed some, too. He was unsure of himself for the first time in his life. This was probably the worst plan he’d ever come up with, or the least thought out one, but he knew that the man was going through something bigger than the troubles between them. The birth of his son was imminent, and he didn’t want to interfere as much as he wanted to be there.

Meanwhile, Vegeta was struggling with his own new and complete immersion into fatherhood, and as much as he glared at Trunks every time he made a peep that wasn’t pleasant to his ears, he couldn’t stifle the grin that followed soon afterwards. The damn brat had grown in the time he’d been gone. He’s practically walking, already. Vegeta was astonished at his strength, too, even for being only half Saiyan, and he couldn’t deny the pride he felt when holding him, even as awkward as he felt while doing it, and even as abusive as the child could be with him.

Falling asleep on a recliner with his son on his chest was something he would _never_ have allowed himself to do on Planet Vegeta. Here, though, he felt secure enough to lock the doors as he spent some alone time with his progeny, and he enjoyed every moment, even the pathetically sentimental ones. Even the irritatingly patience zapping ones.

Bulma was beyond ecstatic to have him here, and ever since she had awoken the next day after Vegeta’s arrival, she’d been running around with renewed vigor that Vegeta, and everyone else, was impressed with. She also wasn’t above utilizing her poor husband’s presence to the fullest. Vegeta acted put off, and to a degree he was, but he truly didn’t mind all too much. If he wanted to run away to be by himself, he most certainly could, but for now, he was content to play “house”.

Bulma’s guards were helpful, too, of course, but they smiled at his wife and at him in a way that made Vegeta uncomfortable at first, and even the advisors gazed at him strangely from time to time. He was certain that they were all wondering what came over him to give up the throne, since he was certain they’d all heard by now, but whether they thought it was Kakarot or Bulma and Trunks that caused him to lose his mind, he wasn’t sure, and he couldn’t care less about their inquisitive minds.

Oh, they’ve all been talking, alright, but neither Bulma nor Vegeta seemed to care that they were, and so they kept on, content at trying to figure out what, exactly, was going on with the estranged couple.

After a month, at their first moment truly and completely alone together, as the Prince and Princess were readying themselves for bed, after putting Trunks to sleep, of course, all the advisors and the guards got together to continue their quarrel over what they thought was happening, and to discuss the good news of Goku’s newborn son, Gohan.

Emeri leaned over to the Prince’s guards from her side of the couch and argued, “You three are keeping secrets! I can read it all over your faces! Spill. The. Tea.”

“What? Why?” Rictor wondered, taking a swig of his beverage before he looked down at it quizzically and considered taking her literally. “I’m not even drinking tea.”

Felia chuckled and motioned for him to stop. Some of the guard giggled.

Halise was much too shy to say anything to her, and refused to look her in the eyes, regardless of how much he’d been crushing on her for so long now.

“The _tea-_ the gossip!” Serenity rolled her eyes, “Look, we _do_ still talk to people back home! We all know that the Prince gave up his rights to the crown, which is _CRAZY!_ But _you_ three were obviously chosen by his Highness when he came here! And you were good friends with _Goku!_ So, come on! Tell us what you know!”

Zuko grinned at the other two guys but shrugged as he looked back over at the rest of the Saiyans waiting for an answer. He offered, “We’ve been talking about this since we got here, when is enough, enough? We don’t know anything more, okay? You think the Prince told us what his plans are? Seriously.”

Rictor nodded, “I think it’s quite obvious he’s here to be a family man… Maybe he’s here to establish his rule on Earth… I wouldn’t put it past him. We’re on a need to know basis. Different planet, same Prince Vegeta.”

“Come on!” the women of the guard whined wanting juicier information than that. The advisors agreed with them.

“He didn’t mention _anything_ about Goku?!” one of them asked.

“I never said that,” Rictor smirked, “But I’d be down if you want to make a bet on it?”

“Fuck off!” Bria laughed, “You already got some of my money! Besides, now I’m _convinced_ you all know something you’re not sharing!”

“Did you all see the pictures of the baby?! _Gohan!_ What a cutie!” Livona cried, changing the subject, “I’m going to visit as soon as I’m able! What’s the hold up about, anyways?!”

“Not before her Highness does! Surely she’ll bring us all!” another one argued.

“Not _all_ of us…” Zuko maintained. Halise glared at him.

Felia gave him a sly look as she connected the dots, noticing Halise’s reaction, and said, “Goku doesn’t know you three are here, does he?”

Rictor glared at Zuko and he and Halise looked guilty under her gaze.

She laughed, “Well! I’ll put money down on this bet, then.”

“What’s the bet, exactly?” Emeri wondered, enjoying this far too much.

“For Goku, of course,” Felia grinned, “Prince Vegeta wouldn’t have denounced his authority to the crown for any _other_ reason than his freedom to do as he pleases. He’s not the kind of man that enjoys being constrained. A respectable trait if you ask me. If he wants the freedom to be with whomever he pleases, I’m happy for them.”

Someone else interjected, “You can’t seriously mean that Prince Vegeta is _in love_ with him?!”

Felia smirked, along with Rictor, but neither extrapolated.

“And the Princess is _okay_ with that?!” another one declared doubtfully.

Livona turned to Felia and gave her an undiscernible look.

Halise finally said, “I don’t know about the Princess, but I guess you guys didn’t hear what we heard…”

“Some of us were _here,_ Halise,” Felia teased.

He wondered, “Then perhaps you should be the one’s talking!”

“Halise! Why don’t you tell us what you heard!” Emeri cried, leaning closer to him.

Halise blushed and hesitated.

“Enough!” Felia cried, eyeing the two of them, and standing up to take her leave, “We can talk about this all night and not get a bit closer to figuring it out! I, for one, am going to bed! I don’t care about all of this enough to lose sleep over it, and it would be best if we quit this nonsense before we get caught.”

“But Goku surely doesn’t still having feelings for him-”

“But the Princess-”

“What about Chi Chi?! That poor woman!”

“The situation is absurd!”

“Gohan! Hello! I want to see the baby!”

“Is Prince Vegeta really in love with _Goku_?!”

“Prince Vegeta in love?! Yeah, okay!”

“I thought it was nothing more than an illustrious affair!”

“There’s no way the Princess is going to be okay with their relationship!”

The conversation went on and on, and although Livona, Bria, and Serenity had a damn good idea that Vegeta was going to try to talk to Goku in spite of his relationship to their Princess, Zuko, Rictor, and Halise agreed unknowingly, but kept their mouths shut about what they’d heard about Vegeta’s confession, and the others were too new to the situation to know any better, so no one got any closer to figuring it all out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ack! There were two specific chapters in this story that took me a hell of a long time to edit. I kept rereading and rearranging, and adding and deleting, and ugh, this was one of them! I hope you all enjoyed! 
> 
> I will not be updating for some time, I know, I know, bs, but yeah, longer than usual. I'm going out of town and the rest of the story isn't finished and I'm not taking my computer! So... 
> 
> Other than that, thank you so much for all of the love and the hits. Seriously.


	35. 35

Chapter 35

Gohan was perfect. Beautiful, strong, peaceful, helpless: perfect. Goku didn’t have any words to describe his emotions, only his son. Everything Raditz had said about the birth of Radom suddenly made so much sense, but, as his brother had also mentioned, there are no words that could do the moment nearly enough justice, and not enough of them to describe his precious child. Goku was in love with his little boy, and the more he stared down at him, the more he knew he would never be able to get enough, and the more all of his father’s small chats with him about family and fatherhood started to finally sink in. He knew Bardock would be so proud, if only he were there to see him.

Both Chi Chi and the baby were healthy, though, and that’s all that mattered to Goku, for now. Chi Chi slept off and on for some time after Gohan’s birth, and so did Gohan for that matter. Goku hung about but tried his best not to disturb her or the baby too much. He was constantly in and out of the room, too anxious to sit still, and more often than not he was being shushed and shooed away by the midwives Bulma had sent over whenever he was around. Goku pouted at them but was grateful for their help and the fact that Chi Chi decided to have the baby at home. He’d been to the hospital with her for checkups during the pregnancy, and that was too much by itself. He didn’t think he could have handled being in one for Gohan’s birth.

Goku found that he didn’t know what to do with himself for the first month of Gohan’s life. Sometimes he would go out to do yardwork just to find something to preoccupy his time with and sometimes he’d meditate or train a little bit. All Gohan did was sleep and eat, and he wasn’t much help in either of those departments, so the only time he could really see his son was when the women allowed him to hold him, mostly as he slept, and Chi Chi watched with a small, tired smile, telling him to mind his son’s head. He felt perfectly at ease in those moments, but in spite of the joy within him, and the family he now has, he still felt a little alone in this world.

He wished his brother could be there, and his father, and his wished he had friends here that he could share his happiness with. He knew of quite a few people he wanted to see but couldn’t, and he constantly texted and called his family, even to the point of annoyance, on Raditz’s end, anyways, but it wasn’t the same as being together in person. He even invited his father and brother to come out to Earth, but they both replied that there was too much going on back home, and that they couldn’t leave right now, but they said they would plan for it, soon. They were vague about everything going on back home. Goku shrugged it off, distracted.

He was in constant contact with the guard back at Bulma’s, though, who said they were eager to see him, but that they had to wait for Bulma’s okay. Goku wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t let it bother him. He was overwhelmed with messages from some of his friends from the guard back at the castle, too, and even some of his friends from before he ever moved into the castle who found his number through castle records. Even Tarble texted him from time to time, but he didn’t keep up with any of those texts like he should, often forgetting to send a reply, or falling asleep during conversations, or not knowing what to say, so he simply didn’t respond. It didn’t help that Gohan’s sleep schedule was a little erratic, and so were Chi Chi’s moods, and so his schedule was thrown off quite a bit as a result, and he was preoccupied, anyways.

After a little over three months Chi Chi got all of her strength back and she was more or less her normal self, humming in the kitchen as she planned out meals while her father attended to Gohan and Goku sat there smiling foolishly watching them. His tail twitched behind him in his excitement. He was proud; Gohan had a tail, too.

The situation was a little awkward, despite the happiness the small family felt. Of course, the Ox King wasn’t thrilled to find out that Chi Chi was pregnant out of wedlock at first. He didn’t say much to Goku about it, but the tension was there, and he frowned at Goku several times over the course of the pregnancy. What he was thinking, Goku couldn’t have known. It had gotten better since Gohan was born, but Goku was treading carefully regardless. Mostly a silent observer, content to get his chance at some time with Gohan mostly when no one was looking. Like right now.

Besides, Chi Chi was, and still is, dealing with her emotions over _everything else_ between them, which they didn’t tell her dad about, for personal reasons, and Goku had to run away several times whenever Chi Chi’s hormones were out of control and she kicked him out in a fit of rage. To her father, it always seemed like something silly had triggered her nerves, but Goku knew better, and he always did as she’d requested and left, but he never stayed gone for long, always coming back to her and his son.

The two of them going and staying at Bulma’s for a little while during the pregnancy had helped the couple’s relationship a little. Goku wasn’t sure why, because nothing had changed, really, but since it’s not _worse_ he couldn’t complain, and even though Goku didn’t know what the Princess and his fiancé had said to one another during their stay, he didn’t push for information. He wasn’t really sure he _wanted_ to know but he assumed it couldn’t have been anything good. The two women would stare glaringly at him as they whispered to one another, but they never divulged what they were talking about, and no conclusion ever came from Goku’s only conversation with either of the women about what he _thought_ they were talking about.

Bulma didn’t speak to him much, snubbing her nose at him, mostly, or watching him with her calculating eyes, although she was civil with him when they did talk, and uncommonly kind and considerate with Chi Chi. Likewise, Chi Chi, ever distant and pensive, never brought up the affair after their first full discussion of it, so Goku just did his best to maintain a positive attitude, expect the worst but hope for the best, and take every day as it came. Gohan was the only true, happy constant in his life.

He assumed that the Princess was helping out with Gohan out of concern and adoration for Chi Chi, and probably a bit of pity, too, but he was grateful for her help, no matter why she was giving it. He was fine with taking what he could get, especially if it meant that his relationship with her wasn’t completely screwed. He knew that Chi Chi appreciated the assistance, too, and since she and Bulma seemed to speak to one another almost daily now that the baby has been born, he figured that if his laying low was working, he’d just keep doing it until he couldn’t anymore. At least the two of _them_ were becoming great friends over all of this. Maybe Gohan and Trunks would at least become friends in the future, but thoughts of the future made him a little queasy. Too much of his life is too unsettled.

The most annoying part in all of this, aside from his other personal problems, is that Chi Chi hasn’t really had much to say to him, either. Not that she was super talkative before Gohan was born, but recently she’s seemed more distant than ever. She isn’t being mean to him or anything, she smiles at him and watches him play with Gohan, and she cooks for him and all, she just rarely says a word, and their affections towards one another have dwindled down to practically nothing.

Goku wanted to fix it all, but he didn’t know how without stepping up and taking matters into his own hands, which he knew would only result in having more difficult conversations. He didn’t feel like he was ready for all of that, yet, and the one person he really wanted to talk to, the one person he needed to talk to _first_ , isn’t exactly _available_. In fact, the one person he wanted to fix his situation with more than anyone else, and the key to fixing all of his other situations in the first place, is literally on another planet.

The time was drawing nearer, though, for when he’d have to start making some serious decisions. Things couldn’t wait for much longer. He’s a father now, and he has responsibilities he’s been ignoring for far too long.

For starters, parting ways with the Royal Guard is on the top of his list of priorities, and he’s pretty sure it can’t wait much longer. Although, again, he isn’t exactly interested in having that conversation with Bulma yet if he can help it. Still, he’s going to have to if he wants to be able to stay on Earth and help watch over Chi Chi and Gohan. Bulma knows it’s coming, since Vegeta mentioned it already to her, in front of _everybody_ , but Goku just doesn’t feel ready to talk to her about that when he feels like he should be talking to her about _other_ things.

Still, he was given a new pay card some time ago, and he’s been getting paid to be a part of a guard he isn’t really a part of, and he knows he’ll have to break it off officially before long, but he isn’t sure how to do that. He knows he could be fired, and probably should be, and that he could technically go ahead and resign, but he also knows that both of those things are frowned upon. No one voluntarily leaves the guard unless they’re old and retiring! Or they die… Or they do something wrong…

Well, he’s done one of those three things, and it’s not growing old or dying.

Thinking back on his recklessness, he didn’t know what came over him to mention it before to Vegeta the way that he did. It’d been in the heat of the moment when he’d told Vegeta that he was leaving the guard, and yeah, he’d been thinking about it, because he felt guilty for not performing his duties, and Chi Chi was really pressing him to make a decision, but why did he do it like _that_?!

Why is he _really_ quitting the guard?

Why did he _really_ go out and court Chi Chi to begin with?

Why did he tell Vegeta _right then_?

He sighed. He knows the answers to those questions _now_.

Serious about his resignation or not, he knew he was just hoping to get a rise out of Vegeta at the time, the same with him telling him he was engaged right before they passionately leapt over the line of Vegeta’s now unholy matrimony. Maybe he was hoping Vegeta would stop everything, fire him, turn him away, and end his misery. Or maybe he was hoping Vegeta would finally understand the pain he felt when found his engagement ring on his hand right before they committed one of their infamous sexual rendezvous.

He didn’t know which one was more correct, or which one was worse, but he did know that part of why he wanted to leave the guard in the first place was to cut ties completely with the Royal House. He didn’t actually mind the guard itself, but without the structure and seriousness of the Royal House lighting a fire on his ass, harkening him to make an appearance, he highly doubted he’d ever take it seriously again, and his painful heartache over Vegeta alone was reason enough to walk away without ever looking back.

In spite of his declaration to not give up on his hopes of being with the Prince until he knows _for sure_ how Vegeta feels _once for all_ , he still doesn’t know how to go about starting the process of quitting his job like he knows he should, and he doesn’t want to step on anyone’s toes. Who is he supposed to talk to about it if not Bulma? Can he bypass her somehow? Who’s in charge of the Princess’ guard, anyways? Vegeta? Probably.

Shit.

Damn! But didn’t Vegeta say something about accepting his resignation, no questions asked? Was he bluffing? Would he really let him quit, just like that? Does he really not care? Vegeta’s always been better at acting casual and keeping his true emotions in check. Bluffing is not one of Goku’s strongpoints, not really. He can do it, but not without practically flirting with danger in the process.

The very _idea_ of talking to Vegeta at all right now makes his heart rate rise uncontrollably, it doesn’t matter what the topic of discussion may be, but he certainly didn’t want his _job_ to be the first thing they talk about whenever he does see him again. That’s not on his “things to say to Vegeta” list, and when Goku thought about all the stupid things he said to him after he came back to Earth and they threw themselves at one another, he honestly couldn’t imagine he could do much more damage than he already has.

One of the worst moments of his flippant ignorance was during the battle with the androids, when he remembers making a comment about “once your bodyguard, always your bodyguard,” not long after having told him he was _quitting_ the guard. Surely Vegeta didn’t find that amusing.

That’s not even as bad as when he told Vegeta he was going to go back to Planet Vegeta with him and then flaked out and reneged at the last minute, even as Vegeta basically begged him to go back with him. Again, probably not the best way to show someone you love them.

Needless to say, he’s been feeling a _lot_ frustrated with himself lately.

He’s had quite a bit of time to think about the Prince and what transpired between them, all of it, and he’s not exactly happy with any of his newfound conclusions. Not in the least. Vegeta had been right about so many things, but then again, so had he, and although the more that Goku thought about his own part to play, the more childish and immature he found himself to be, the _more_ he thought about Vegeta, the more absurd his behavior was!

What in the hell were they thinking?!

It’s too late now. He didn’t regret a single minute. Honestly, the only thing he hated about his choices was the thought that he should have gone back home with Vegeta. He should have gone to see his family and help clean up the planet. He should have gone to get some closure with the Prince, and to face the King head on and give an account for himself, instead of hiding out here on Earth, inadvertently avoiding his troubles. He could have come back and been here before Gohan was born, instead of hurting Bulma and Chi Chi by telling them the truth point blank with little to no consideration for their feelings, meanwhile he’s been sticking around waiting for Vegeta to return or call him or something.

Not much has changed, has it?

Vegeta’s probably had enough time to think things over by now, and he’s probably over it, not impressed, and far past moving on. Actually, he’s probably still angry with him, and he most likely sees him as a cowardly, wayward, pushover of a man who can’t make a decision about what he really wants because he doesn’t know what he wants, and who’ll never amount to anything because he can’t commit to anything.

Sounds about right.

Still, Goku is determined to wait for contact with him. **Determined** to have it all out with him at least _one more_ time, hash out _everything_ and then, if they must, leave it be, but if it takes too much longer, he won’t wait for him. No, he’ll just have to take matters into his own hands. He’ll go back to Planet Vegeta and storm into that damn castle and demand to speak with his Royal Highness Prince Vegeta if he has to!

If nothing else, he’s been waiting for the phone call telling him to come back to planet Vegeta for his position to be reevaluated, regardless of whether he resigns from the guard first or not. Didn’t those men say they were going to recommend him for Captain? Even the Saiyans who’d come to help out were calling him Captain, already. He didn’t know what to think about that. He didn’t know what that even _meant_.

Then there’s another problem and the reason he _knew_ he would be getting a call soon; the punishment that Vegeta had promised was coming his way. Even Halise and Zuko said the King was pissed off. He’s not going to forget about him. Not being able to talk to Vegeta about _everything else in the first place_ is driving him even crazier than waiting on a summons he doesn’t know how to handle and is tired of waiting for.

He didn’t know what he was thinking, hoping this all would just sort itself out as soon as his son was born. He may not have been thinking that exactly, but something inside of him was hoping that some way, _somehow_ , he’d just have figured it all out by then. Or maybe things would just start clicking. But that’s not the way life works, is it? Why did he think he’d suddenly find the answers to all the questions he didn’t have any answers for before? Like having a child is going to make him wiser for some reason. No, now things are even more complicated than ever, and what’s worse, even _more_ questions have begun to swell within him; things he’s _never even considered_ , and now he’s locked down, here on Earth, for the rest of his life, all for his son and his son’s mother. Not that it isn’t worth it, but wow, he really didn’t think this through.

Not that he regrets it, of course. How could he? Staring down into his son’s beautiful face, he could never regret this.

“Oh, _Vegeta_!” Bulma cried, barging into the kitchen, where the Prince, the advisors, and the guard were all munching on something Bunny had just made them. “We just got the invitation to your brother’s coronation in today!” She waved it around at him, “Now how the hell am I supposed to go to that, hmm? It’s in just a few months! And Doctor Son is still working on the damn schematics for—”

“ _‘Dr. Son,’_ ” Vegeta snorted at her comical reference to Kakarot’s father as he plucked the paper from her hands quickly and read it in silence. Bulma smirked, though, knowing she had his attention, and she gave the rest of the Saiyans their invitations as well.

“Rictor!” Vegeta suddenly barked, and then he growled in their native tongue, so Bulma wouldn’t understand him, “Did Kakarot get one?! Have you talked to him today?!”

“I haven’t, I-I don’t know, Sire,” the man replied in the same tongue. It’s been nearly four months now since Gohan was born and Vegeta had been putting off his reunion to Kakarot this whole time, in spite of Bulma’s protesting that they all _simply must_ go see the baby and that he swallow his damn pride and go tell the man how he feels.

“What _about_ Goku?!” Bulma intervened. She didn’t know what they’d said but she was _sure_ she heard a “Kakarot” in there.

Vegeta stared at the invitation unblinking for some time. None of the others dared to speak for him.

“Helloo?!” Bulma snapped, growing annoyed at being ignored.

Vegeta stood up and commanded, “Gather your things. Get Trunks. We must go see him at once!” He blushed and ground his teeth. He meant to say “go at once” not “go _see him_ at once” but it was too late.

“Really?!” Bulma asked, surprised by his outburst.

“Yes, yes, all of you!” he huffed, brushing off his embarrassment. “Hurry up!” he added and then practically ran away to get changed.

Bulma turned to Felia and grinned. “Well, you heard him! Let’s go see the baby! I’ll call Chi Chi and tell her we’re on the way!” Once she knew Vegeta was out of ear shot she remarked, “And Felia, make sure you and the others bring your scouters… I have a feeling my dear husband is going to try and hang back so that he can flank poor Goku and I’d like to have some idea of what’s going on.”

Felia smirked back and nodded and she and the rest of them all got up at once and readied themselves to leave.

The advisors and the guards were beside themselves with excitement. They had finally gotten out of Bulma what was going on between her and Vegeta, and as shocked as they were to hear it, they were even more so (some of them, anyways) to learn that Vegeta intended on speaking with Goku about their predicament, hoping to straighten things out between them, but it seemed that the Prince was intent on putting off the reunion as long as he could.

It seemed that Tarble, or the King, felt otherwise.

Halise, Rictor, and Zuko had been losing their minds ever since they got here, having to pretend that they were back on Planet Vegeta and unable to see their friend, when they knew how badly Goku’s been wanting to see them. They were thrilled to be able to stop lying about it all and even more excited for what was sure to come of Prince Vegeta’s reintroduction into their friend’s life.

They only hoped things went well.

The Saiyans at first couldn’t believe what they were hearing when Bulma explained it to them. To Bulma, though, it made the most sense, and she and Vegeta have had plenty of conversations about it since, bordering on Vegeta’s patience, of course, and she didn’t care what they thought. She echoed her husband’s sentiments for them not to mention anything to Goku about Vegeta’s being here until he decided to show up for himself, but what she told Chi Chi of the situation, and how Goku was going to feel about it, no one was for certain.

Once ready, the Saiyans waited impatiently outside for the Prince and Princess, and when the pair came out of the house, Vegeta carrying Trunks in a very irritated manner, and Bulma carrying the baby’s things, as well as a pack of other items, they were bickering about something, but it wasn’t clear what the fight was over. Bulma climbed into one of her hovercrafts and Vegeta handed the baby to Felia as she and several others climbed in, but he told his wife to go and that he would catch up with them. Bulma rolled her eyes and scoffed but revved the engine and gave a sly look to Felia. They took off quickly. Only part of her guard flew in the machine with them. The rest flew on their own behind or beside them. Again, Vegeta told them all to go and that he’d meet them there.

Vegeta didn’t think the way his heart was pounding in his chest was normal.

He didn’t think he’d ever know what it’s like to feel normal again.

He didn’t think that he could find the right words to say.

He didn’t know if he could do this.

Chi Chi and her father greeted Bulma and the others at the door like old friends. They spent some time remarking on how good Chi Chi looks and fussing over how big and how precious Gohan is and how nice her father’s home is, before Chi Chi grew blushingly overwhelmed and offered for everyone to come inside. As she ushered them through the front door, she told them that Goku was out but that he should be back in a little while, and once inside, they immediately began congregating around the tiny, precious, baby Gohan while the Ox King set out for the kitchen to whip up some food.

Chi Chi and Bulma switched children for a minute, each of them remarking on the other’s son, how strong and how handsome, before settling down in the comfort of the Ox King’s home, surrounded by the Princess’ guards and advisors. Then Bulma brought out one of the packs she brought and began showering Chi Chi with thoughtful gifts for her, her home, and the baby.

Vegeta had watched the initial greeting from far away, looking over the others as they squealed and fussed with no desire to join them, and upon the house with no small degree of astonishment. It’s not that he didn’t want to see Kakarot’s child for himself- he wanted to see him the day he was born!- but he couldn’t bring himself to go down there with so many people right now and no reason to leave should his discomfort become unbearable, and it practically already is. And it’s not that he thought that Chi Chi and her father lived in poverty, honestly, he never gave it a single thought, but he was caught off guard by the looks of the home itself. It was big and so _different_ from anything he’s ever seen before, and so _unexpected_ , too.

After some time, Vegeta dropped to the ground and walked nearer to the front door, but he hesitated to enter. He didn’t know if he was grateful that Kakarot was gone or if he was put off by this being delayed when he’d been trying to overcome a _massive_ panic attack the entire way here.

He almost even regretted his decision to not just be a part of all of them when they’d first arrived. Maybe then, because he’s shorter than most, he might have just been able to slip by, unnoticed at first. He shook his head, knowing that wasn’t true.

He didn’t think he could handle the introduction to Chi Chi’s father, and the glare Chi Chi was certain to give him, and the looks he was sure were going to be thrown his way if anyone even so much as _attempted_ to hand _Kakarot’s_ son to _him_ , at least, not without Kakarot around to take some of the pressure off of himself.

How dare Kakarot not be here when he finally gathered the nerve to come speak to him!

He didn’t know what to think or how to feel.

He turned away from the door and considered leaving altogether. No one in there would mind his absence, especially not the mother of Kakarot’s child, but he knew that if he didn’t enter Bulma would be pissed, and she would eventually call him and ask him where he was. As much as he didn’t care about the woman’s scorn, he also didn’t want to rouse more trouble simply because he was too nervous to knock on the door. He turned back to the house and walked up to the door with all the intention of going inside. 

He stood there for some time and realized that he’d lost his nerve. He just couldn’t go inside of the man’s home, especially without Kakarot here. What would be the point? He just couldn’t do it.

He cursed Kakarot under his breath.

“Vegeta?”

The Prince inhaled sharply and turned around in an instant, startled, and mortified. There Kakarot stood, smiling down at him in all his glory, and carrying, of all things, chopped wood and a large fish.

“Kakarot!” Vegeta just _knew_ the look on his face was undignified and he closed his mouth when he’d realized his jaw had dropped at the sight of him.

Goku beamed a smile at him. “What are you doing here?” _‘That’s not what I meant to say!’_ he thought, and he laughed nervously, shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

Vegeta didn’t answer. Not only did he not want to admit that he was, _of course_ , here to see _him_ , but he was too busy _staring_ at him to do so, noting his effortlessly happy demeanor, his perfectly wholesome eyes, his sun kissed skin, accompanied by a light sheen of either sweat or water, and his odd, orange and blue clothing covered in stains and dirt. He looked… magnificent.

“I’m glad you’re here,” Goku told him wistfully, setting the logs down and then tossing the fish on top of them. He took a few steps closer and asked innocently, wiping his hands together before placing them on his hips, “When did you get back?”

Vegeta’s lips parted again but no sound came out. He didn’t want to tell him that he’d been here for five months, and that he’d kept his presence, and the presence of his friends, from him on purpose for all this time because he was too afraid to come and speak to him directly.

“I’ve missed you,” Goku offered, still smiling. Inside, though, he was feeling nervous and unsettled and embarrassed and foolish.

Vegeta turned to him more fully, still taking in his appearance, and still mulling over simple words, both Goku’s, and his own silent contemplations. What happened to all his confidence? Did he steal that like he stole his heart?

“Is Bulma here, too?” Goku mused, trying to think of something nonconfrontational to say at Vegeta’s silence. He hummed and closed his eyes for a moment, before he said, opening them again, “I can hear everyone inside. I guess the guard is here, too. Did you guys come to meet Gohan?”

Vegeta didn’t think he’d ever find his voice again. Kakarot’s chipper tone was intolerable to his somber sobriety, and a thought struck him that he’d wished hadn’t, _‘He’s happy here, isn’t he? He’s happy.’_

This was a mistake.

Goku smiled, trying his best to hold on to his cheerfulness even though it was becoming increasingly difficult with every moment the Prince spent staring at him motionless. “Come on…” he laughed, “We should go inside…” He pressed forward in a friendly manner, coming closer, and reaching out for the front door, in spite of Vegeta’s body partially blocking the entrance. His smile never wavered, but his eyes flicked to Vegeta’s cautiously for a second before focusing back on his task.

“No,” Vegeta retorted quickly, no longer looking at his face as he came so close, but staring into his chest, and at his neck, and suddenly he found himself taking in his scent, and his _tangibility_. He refused to take a step backwards, even though he knew he was in the way and he certainly wasn’t making this _easy_. Everything about the other man made him excited but uncomfortable.

What did he come here to say, again?

Goku withdrew his hand hesitantly, flexing it a little as it passed Vegeta’s arm. He wanted to grab a hold of him and pull him close and never let go. He wanted to take him by the arms and shake some sense into him. He wanted to drag him away and tell him everything that he’s been dreaming of about them and their lives together. He wanted to slam him into the side of the house and kiss him, and to never stop kissing him, at least until the sun sets tomorrow. But he just couldn’t do any of those things.

He looked down at the Prince again with his large, warm, inquisitive, and dangerously soft eyes. “Hmm…?” was all he managed to reply, softly. He wished he knew what the other man was thinking. He wished he knew what to say to him to get him to talk. He wished they didn’t need to talk so badly, and that they could just get right down to it physically, like they always had.

“Kakarot… I don’t want to go inside,” Vegeta admitted, finally looking up at him. “I need to speak with you.”

“Sure,” Goku nodded, and he was hopeful, but terrified all the same, and as he swallowed nervously, he wondered where his confidence had gone.

“Let’s go,” Vegeta said, brushing past him, but then he paused, and added, “… I’d like to take this somewhere more private, if you think you know a place.”

“Okay,” Goku agreed with sincere eagerness but well-hidden, or perhaps simply ignored, apprehension, and he walked ahead of him briskly, as he called over his shoulder, “Follow me.”

Vegeta couldn’t help but smirk at his back as his head turned away. He assumed he would know where they could go to be alone, at least some things were certain and soothingly familiar. He followed him as Goku took to the air and lead the way. They didn’t fly for long before they landed in an open area, devoid of any civilization, as most of this place was, save for one lone house. It looked like a Capsule house if Vegeta wasn’t mistaken.

“Whose home is this?” Vegeta asked him as they landed.

Goku smiled, rubbing the back of his head, and he fumbled through his words as he explained, “This is my place. Well, I stay here, sometimes. I mean, I did, before Gohan was born. I still do, now, but, uh… Well, Bulma gave this place to me a while ago- when I went on vacation.”

Vegeta didn’t respond. He looked around uncomfortably, but he was trying his best to seem undaunted. He _did_ tell him to bring him somewhere _private_ , and he _did_ deliver, but the Prince was having a hard time acknowledging it verbally, and he couldn’t lift his eyes to Kakarot’s, regardless that he’s the very reason he came here, and regardless that they came here to _talk_ , of all things.

Goku, trying to be at ease himself, especially when considering how distant Vegeta’s behaving, offered with another smile, “Have you been back for long?”

Vegeta still didn’t reply as he stared at the house, and then the stream not too far behind it.

“How is everything?” Goku tried again.

Still nothing.

“Raditz said that things were going pretty well, but he hasn’t been very, uh, telling with the details…” he laughed. This is going nowhere.

Vegeta was in a strange mood and his mind was quickly assessing all the possibilities of this conversation. Goku was saying something else about his brother, but it didn’t come to Vegeta’s mind to pay any attention. Instead, it registered that they were _alone_ , and that he came here for a purpose, and that no amount of small talk on Kakarot’s end was going to deter him from that purpose, and he realized that he _has_ to speak. He has to tell him how he feels… before anyone or anything else…

Suddenly coming back to himself, and feeling more mobile without the possibility of anyone else listening in on them or looking at them, and he stalked about in a circle as he replied, disregarding whatever Kakarot had just said with, “Raditz is probably too busy to fill you in on all of the changes back on Planet Vegeta, but that reminds me… Have you gotten any correspondences from the castle, lately?” That was the most tactful way he could have asked.

“Hm?” Goku thought about it, stalling, before he answered, “No. I haven’t.”

If he didn’t know any better, he’d say Kakarot looked concerned, but he was relieved to hear it, and he stopped pacing to stare at him.

Goku offered another smile. “Was I supposed to be getting something?” he asked sweetly.

Vegeta could only smirk at him, and he said, narrowing his eyes at him, “Yes, I’m sure you will soon.”

Goku’s shoulder’s tensed.

“Kakarot,” Vegeta spoke, gaining some nerve as he took another step closer, but as he looked him over, his voice wavered.

“Let me go first, Vegeta…” Goku’s smile faded.

Vegeta couldn’t believe he’d interrupted him when he finally felt _somewhat_ ready to speak his mind! It’s not that fucking often that he does that, damn it. At the same time, though, he wants to hear what he has to say. Kakarot’s sudden change in demeanor is so much more than Vegeta could have ever anticipated, and it’s affecting _him_ for some reason! The anxiety he already feels over this whole thing is enough to send him over the edge, without _any_ sort of stimulation at this point, and _not_ in a _good_ way!

“Your Highness,” Goku’s lips pursed and he sighed, “Vegeta… I’m sorry that I… That I wasted so much of your time.”

Vegeta’s heart dropped.

“I was so foolish and so stupid to think that we… I mean… What I’m trying to say is… I love you so much, and I know you don’t want to hear that, and that it doesn’t matter. I should have listened to you from the start-”

 _‘What?!’_ Vegeta’s mind whirred.

“I should have known better,” Goku shrugged, noncommittally, so different from what he was really feeling, “But I guess I wasn’t thinking beyond the moment, and…” his brows furrowed as he tried to find the right words, “I never meant for it to… ruin your life… but I… I need you to understand that you didn’t ruin mine. You didn’t. And I know that you’re angry with me, but I—”

“Shut the fuck up!” Vegeta yelled, and suddenly the words started pouring from him lips, but not the one’s he’s intended on saying. “Fuck you, Kakarot!” he declared, “Are you trying to seriously tell me that you’re sorry that ever happened?! That you’re sorry that you’ve ruined my life over some petty emotions you’re far beyond, now?! FUCK YOU! _Fuck you!_ ” Vegeta’s voice threatened to crack and he took a moment to regain at least some of his normal poise.

“Vegeta!” Goku’s face soured and grew alarmed at the same time, “No, that not it! I-”

“ _No!_ You’re going to listen to _me_! I have hardly said my peace since the _last_ time I tried to tell you how I felt and look where _that_ got us! And let me tell you something! I don’t care anymore! Is that what you wanted to hear from me?! I guess I didn’t fuck up _your_ life that badly, so it’s not a big deal anymore, right?! You just get to move on like that, and you expect everyone else to do the same?!”

Goku frowned, and his heart quailed. He shook his head but Vegeta was still launching his words at him. 

“Kakarot!” Vegeta cried, throwing up one of his hands into his hair before he declared, “Have you any idea why it took me so long to get here? Do you even know how much I— No! No, you don’t. Never mind…” he suddenly choked, withdrawing, and turning his back to him.

Kakarot ran forward, grabbing on to both of Vegeta’s arms before he could recoil from him completely, “Vegeta, wait! You didn’t let me finish!”

Vegeta exploded with rage, blasting into Super Saiyan, and turning back quickly with one arm swinging, trying to ward him off for no other reason than to show him than he could, and because he _needed_ to show him that he could, as a last an attempt to shelter what was left of himself from the only man in the universe that could make him feel so vulnerable.

Goku was awed and impressed, and he stood taken aback for a moment as he stared at him.

Vegeta pointed, putting some distance between them, as he yelled, “I will not let you affect me any longer, Kakarot! I’ve allowed you to do enough damage to my life! No more!”

In that instant, Goku ricocheted into the same transformation in instinctual response, and Vegeta was awed by him, even having seen it before. Goku took the momentary lack of defense from the Prince as an opportunity to gain the upper hand, and he gripped him by both of his arms, holding onto his biceps in a nonthreatening yet serious manner, and bringing him closer even as their powers clashed, and Vegeta struggled to break free from his grip.

Goku told him, “Listen to me, Vegeta! Or is it just the same now as it always has been? You don’t want to hear what anyone else has to say, you just want to hear yourself talk!”

Vegeta throttled against him, arguing, “I’ve heard enough!” and he punched him square in the jaw the moment one of his arms was freed.

Kakarot took the hit, and even relished in it, but he responded in kind, returning the gesture with gusto he finesse, in an act of violence he didn’t know he needed to expel or experience.

Their now silent argument turned into an all-out brawl. Eventually they took it far away from there, where they could battle without worry of retaliatory recompense.

The guard’s scouters blipped.

“Goku and Vegeta are talking, now,” Felia informed Bulma, and she turned off her scouter, and told everyone else to do the same.

“Oh, good,” Bulma chided as she took a sip of tea, “About time.” She smiled at Chi Chi.

Chi Chi nodded. Gohan and Trunks cooed in their mother’s arms.

The battle raged onward, both men throwing punches their words could never find the matching description to, neither man knowing how else to express themselves, or how better to put their frustrations than this.

They didn’t find it necessary to speak for now. They needed a different type of release. A different type of communication. This was it. This would do for now.

It wasn’t so much a challenge of strength as it was an act of desperation. It wasn’t even so much a war of power as it was a plight of thinly worn exasperations, and each man understood that. Each man took and gave in turn, and as it went on, more than just their pent-up energy was being freed; their very souls were being soothed by the simple fact that they _could_ battle this way, with nothing to say, and nothing to lose.

It wasn’t about winning or defeating the other man. It wasn’t about punishment for past cruelty or misunderstandings. It was about letting it _all_ go. It was about the mutuality between them. It was about their equality and their respect for one another, and most of all, it was about their passion and their pride, which only they truly understood.

It was nighttime when they finally stopped their fight. Both men were worn out but satisfied. Tired but alive. Exhausted, but contemplative all the same. They were even smirking at each other. Smiling in their own, Saiyan way. Their bodies were worn down, but their minds were invigorated. They could on no longer, not without causing real damage, but that had never been in their intentions.

As they collapsed on the ground side by side, huffing breathlessly, Goku turned to Vegeta and said, “Man, I’ve been wanting to fight with you… like this… for a long time…”

Vegeta looked over at him, as he heard the symphony of crickets around them, and the man’s comforting breathing, and he murmured, “How long, exactly, Kakarot…? Ever since I mentioned it… Before I left?”

“Naw, before that,” Goku smiled, and his eyes fell over to Vegeta as he told him, “Ever since we first met. When you came up to me in the castle that night…” he paused.

Vegeta chuckled, “You do like a challenge after all…”

“Ha, yeah,” Goku answered, still catching his breath, “But, really, I- I’ve been waiting for someone like you… All my life I’ve wanted to find someone like you…”

Vegeta looked away, and up into the stars, out beyond the nothingness that surrounded them. Still calming his breathing, he didn’t reply.

Goku laughed, mirthful, genuine, and then he sighed.

“What?” Vegeta asked, bitingly.

“Nothing I just… We don’t talk well…”

Vegeta turned to him for a moment, looking over his well-muscled and perfectly toned, sweating body as he sat up onto his elbows and, looking away again, he said, “We never get to _finish_ talking…”

Goku sat up as well, just the same, and told him, “Sometimes I hope we never do…”

Laughing, from a place the Prince didn’t understand, Vegeta answered, “What would you say if I told you that… we’re going to finally have the chance…?”

“Huh?” the other man asked in a daze.

It took some time, but Vegeta finally admitted quietly, with nothing else between them to hinder the confession, “I’m not leaving, Kakarot. Earth is my home now. More, even, than Planet Vegeta could ever be or ever was…”

Goku felt his face flush, not sure he could believe what he was hearing, or even that he understood. He swallowed, “But what about…?”

“Tarble is going to be King,” Vegeta smirked, still facing the stars, “That’s why I asked you if you had gotten something in from the castle. I didn’t want you to find out before I told you for myself. You’ll be getting an invitation to his coronation soon, and if you don’t, you’ll be coming with me to the ceremony, anyways.” He turned to him and asked, “Won’t you?”

Goku didn’t know what to say. He simply grinned at Vegeta, confused, but no longer tense in any way. The spar they’d just had was like coming from the high of having sex, and it made communication seem a bit easier between them. Still, he didn’t know what to say.

Vegeta was feeling much the same, but he was tired, and beyond fed up with keeping it all bottled inside of him, and so he leaned closer, and added in mocking admonition, “ _Everyone will be staring at us_.”

Goku couldn’t help but laugh at that, and Vegeta cracked a smirk in reply. Goku took a deep breath and asked him, “What are you saying, Vegeta? Are you… are you saying what I think you are? I, uh, I think you hit my head one too many times.”

It was Vegeta’s turn to laugh, again, and he fell onto his back as he cackled unbecomingly over Goku’s words. “Kakarot! How many ways would you have me beat it into you?!” he teased. He would have felt more foolish if he had any feeling left. He could think of another way to beat it into him, but he was feeling a little delirious, and he wasn’t sure of Kakarot’s intentions with him anymore than he was sure of himself in these sickeningly exposing moments.

Goku leaned over him, smiling down in a haze. He brushed his hand over Vegeta’s face, his thumb gently tracing his lips and then his jaw as he watched the Prince’s demeanor turn from carefree to sullen.

 _Wait?_ Did he just… recognize his mood?

Reaching up to pull his hand into his own, and bringing it down beside his head, Vegeta told him, in a tired but longing voice, “I’ve been here for five months. I’ve been waiting for the right time to… talk to you. I’ve wanted to come and see you… and your son… but there never seemed to be a right time. There’s always only feast or famine between us. Lust or derision.” He chided heatlessly, “I wouldn’t have it any other way, you know. As I said, even if the very conversations we have drove us crazy, I wouldn’t mind a bit.”

“Vegeta… Are you sure?” Goku wondered in slight disbelief.

Vegeta’s eyes fluttered. Not in the sense of flirtation, but in the form of contemplation, and, releasing Goku’s hand from his, he pushed himself off of the ground to sit up straight, scooting closer to the other man as he stared into his face, eyes flicking from eyes to lips and back again. He’d never been so sure of anything in all of his life, but he didn’t know how to say it.

Goku’s full lips pouted, and he asked him, “I mean, I thought you were angry with me, that’s why I…”

“Angry?” Vegeta looked off to the side, “Kakarot, I’m always angry.”

“And unhappy,” Goku scoffed a little, shaking his head.

Vegeta sat up even more, pulling away from him and crossing his legs and his arms and he replied, despondently, “Yes, _Kakarot_ , and unhappy.”

“Why?” Goku asked, innocently, sitting up more with him, reflecting his apprehension unconsciously, but inquisitive and hopeful he would get a response, nonetheless.

Vegeta turned to him, annoyed, but as he stared into his big, welcoming eyes and his sweet, charming face, he found himself blurting out, “Because I can’t help it, that’s why! Because I’ve spent _years_ of my life this way! And because it doesn’t fucking matter how I feel about things! It matters what I _do!_ And what I _do_ doesn’t matter half as much as who is _pleased_ by what I do! And I don’t think that explaining something like _that_ to someone like _you_ would really matter! You think you’re the only one I’ve been angry with?! You think these problems between us were the only thing on my mind?! I’m angry with you, yes, but not half as mad as I’ve been at myself. And, damn it, I’m not explaining this to you! Especially not right now!”

Goku smiled at him, and poked him a little, as he answered, “So you’re really just… kind of a big softie.”

“I-I— _What?!_ ”

“Well, I mean,” Goku’s smile never failed, “I think you actually really care, deep down, about a lot of things. A lot more things than you let on. But you have to remain neutral, don’t you? So you don’t show what you really think or how you really feel, until you have to make a decision, but at the end of the day, you always do the right thing, even if you’re put into a difficult situation. Even if you don’t want to admit that you’ve been considering some things, you have. You really do care, a lot. I always knew you did.”

Vegeta sneered.

Goku only smiled, “You know, Raditz has been busy, but not too busy to tell me some things. He said you were really wonderful back home, showing all those people how to hunt, and helping to rebuild their homes, giving orders when there was chaos… He even said that you’ve been more… thoughtful than usual, not that I would know the difference. I’ve always thought of you as a considerate sort of man, even though most everybody else thinks otherwise. But I’ve always known better. I know a good man when I meet one, and you’re the _best_ of them, Vegeta.”

“Wha—I—” Vegeta blushed and lost all motor skills momentarily at such an unruly yet honest speech. He didn’t know if he should be offended or flattered. Knowing Kakarot, probably both.

Goku chuckled and leaned in, pressing his shoulder to Vegeta’s for a second as he wondered, “Hey, can I tell you what I was gonna say? Please?” and at first his eyes were nothing but cheerfulness and joy, but when he focused them closer, and put his tail around Vegeta’s waist, something he’s never done during conversation, and something he _technically_ shouldn’t be doing, his demeanor changed into something more thoughtful and serious, and he said, bringing his nose to nearly touching Vegeta’s, “I meant it when I said I love you. Maybe… maybe I love you a little differently than Bulma, yeah? But I love you in a way that I… I don’t want to change you. I just want to get to know you. You are like, um, what do they call it? The Yims to my Yams?”

“Ying and Yang!” Vegeta blurted, his discomfort in this conversation far past the border of overwhelming.

“That!” Goku smiled and laughed, “Yeah, _that_.”

“For the love of the moon,” Vegeta declared, pulling away, “Just! Stop fucking talking!”

Goku grabbed a hold of his face though, and bringing it to his own, he kissed him, smiling into his mouth at the pleasure of sharing such a simple gesture with him.

But Vegeta pulled away and told him, “That doesn’t mean this conversation is over!”

“Mmmm,” Goku sighed, pressing his lips against Vegeta’s again regardless, and when he pulled away, all he said was, “I know. I agree. I mean, I still have a lot of questions… but you… you love me, too, don’t you? Don’t you?” Goku grinned mischievously.

“Enough!” Vegeta argued, his face burning, but he resumed their kiss as a way to shut him up, and stifle himself at the same time, and he allowed his tail to wrap around Goku’s waist, unabashed, and continued to kiss him with enough passion to ignite their underused libido and forgo their much-needed recovery.

As Goku threw his arms around Vegeta’s waist, and the Prince climbed into his lap, they both knew that there’s no coming back from this.

There never really was.

When Vegeta awoke the next day, in Goku’s bed inside of his Capsule home of all places, he was beside himself. He couldn’t remember coming here for the life of him. Goku wasn’t even in the bed with him, but that wasn’t disturbing. He looked around for a moment and felt… perfectly at ease. Sore, but content.

He got up to relieve himself and then, once finished, he swished around some mouthwash that he found before contemplating what he _could_ remember of the night before. When he looked around the room again, now a little more awake, he noticed that it was in shambles. His body wasn’t feeling much better. He couldn’t completely blame it on the fight they’d had, either.

They hadn’t talked practically at all, but everything seemed… _normal_. Everything seemed _right_. Everything felt… _good_.

He made his way through the small home quickly enough, noting the scent of sex wasn’t only confined to the bedroom, and his face flushed as he followed the sounds of what he could only assume was Kakarot in what he could only assume would be the kitchen. When he finally found Goku, who was indeed in the kitchen struggling to make some type of makeshift breakfast for the two of them, Vegeta couldn’t help but smirk at him as he watched. Goku noticed his entrance, and he smiled back at him with sheepish, but sensual bedroom eyes.

Vegeta came closer and picked up some of the finished food, eating it gratefully. Both of them ate as Goku cooked, not bothering to speak or even make a plate and eat everything together like a normal breakfast would be consumed, all the while making eyes at one another, while their tails flirted their true moods a little more sensually.

Once Goku was finished cooking and they were finished eating, Vegeta pulled him into his arms and pressed for a rewind of the night before. Something he’ll be able to remember this time.

How fucking out of it was he that he didn’t completely remember them having sex? Oh, he _knew_ they did, and he could remember tidbits of it, and he could smell it, he could _feel_ it, he could _see_ it, but what did they _do_ , exactly? What did he _say_ to him? He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what sort of filthy slew of words poured from his lips out of desperation, tiredness, utter comfortability, and complete lack of control.

Goku, on the other hand, remembered the majority of the previous night’s activities quite well, and he was eager to repeat them, although he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to find Vegeta quite as vocal this morning as he did the night before. That’s okay. He didn’t need to be told twice that he was the first and only person Vegeta had ever let fuck him.

And he was pretty sure he’d never hear it again, not like _that_ anyways.

But as for how explicit the Prince had been about how badly he’s been craving to have his cock inside of him again, _that_ he would have to make _sure_ he hears again.

That was all irrelevant, though, the only thing that mattered now is that Vegeta is here, in his arms, and he isn’t going anywhere ever again.

For now, it doesn’t matter that they haven’t figured anything else out yet, or even talked about what they were going to say to Chi Chi and Bulma exactly, much less about what they were going to say to, well, everyone.

Goku didn’t care.

He didn’t care about anything else as pressed Vegeta backwards through the house. He didn’t care about anything else as he hoisted Vegeta onto the kitchen table, placing himself in between his legs. He didn’t care about _anything else_ as Vegeta fisted his hands into his hair and drug them down his neck and shoulders and back as he was grinding into him with his hips, his dick already growing hard from anticipation.

Goku pulled away from their heated kiss to remove the Prince’s briefs quickly, while Vegeta grabbed a hold of Kakarot’s tail and placed it into his mouth. He sucked on it roughly, causing Goku to yelp as he removed his own underwear. Vegeta smirked up at him, enjoying such a reaction.

Goku smiled back, reaching out to grasp the Prince’s swollen cock. He told him, “We shouldn’t do this here… the table’s gonna break for sure.”

“Fuck it. Nowhere is safe from you and that thrust, Kakarot,” Vegeta replied impatiently. 

Goku grinned, placing his tail at Vegeta’s entrance as he widened the gap between his legs. “You know, you’re right.”

“Oh!” Vegeta smirked, “So you, AH!” he cried out as Goku pressed his tail inside of him, and his voice turned into a purr as he threw his head back, “You agree with me for once!”

“Mmhmm…” Goku purred back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There *might* be 37 chapters... I'm not sure, but probably. Hell, there might be 38, I don't know yet. I have the rest of this all set up but it's not completely finished, and I am so looking forward to finishing! But It's not finished *quite* yet... so hang tight kitty kats!  
> Thanks for reading! And thanks to those of you who review!
> 
> Oh ho, no, it's not over. Not yet :)


	36. 36

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, the following chapter is incredibly fucking long. So is the next one. Readers might want to get a snack. Please be advised...

Chapter 36

“Stay right there…” Vegeta’s voiced huffed, his breath tingling Goku’s neck from behind.

“I couldn’t move if I wanted to… You made sure of that…” Goku halfheartedly wined, his tail fluffing out and sweeping along the ground, showing that he was all too content even as hindered as his position was. He tried shifting a little. Nope, he couldn’t budge, not without dislocating something. Or destroying something. It was a good thing they were outside.

Vegeta chuckled into his ear, “Good… Now…”

Goku’s body buckled and he let out a moan, his back arching against his will. He didn’t know if it was because they’d spent so much time in foreplay, or if it was because they’ve been apart for so long, or if it was because- oh, who cares?- he was enjoying this. They both were, very much, if the hardness of their cocks was any indicator.

Vegeta pressed into him further, knowing that he was practically teetering on the line of orgasm abuse, but Kakarot was putting up with it. Maybe he was even relishing in it. He only wished he could see more of his face… Maybe he could. He reached out and grabbed into his hair, pulling his head back to see more of him. Goku moaned again. Vegeta rewarded him with another powerful thrust.

They’d been going at it like this for over a week now, fucking each other like they’d never get the chance to have sex again. It still felt surreal.

Goku should have known that Vegeta had ulterior motives when he told him he wanted to try something different today. He _hoped_ he did, actually, and he wasn’t disappointed.

The way Vegeta was grinding into him now was causing him to cry out incessantly, and he was no longer concerned with holding anything back. Neither was Vegeta, who had let go of his hair and was now all but pouring out compliments above him as he rammed into his body.

Goku was trying desperately not to cum. Not yet.

No matter how intimate their sex life was, though, and how utterly vocal they were about it to one another, they still both felt the ghostly traces of the need for secrecy during these times, and their search for privacy while they were together hasn’t faltered, either, even in spite of _everyone_ knowing what was going on between them. It was slowly sinking in that such a mindset was no longer necessary, but they weren’t at acceptance yet. Barely able to think straight most of the time due to sensory overload, they were beginning to realize that it isn’t going to end between them, a dread they both still had a hard time getting rid of, and recognize that they didn’t have to hide anymore, a fact they were still in disbelief over.

Although they began to think more rationally about the situation as the days passed, it didn’t help with communication about other things.

Vegeta still wasn’t one for much talk about feelings, at least, not the deeper ones, even after they both got off, panting, and shaking and kissing with fervor, but Goku didn’t mind that. He isn’t one for words either, at least, not if he doesn’t have to be, but such a combination made it to where they accomplished very little in the “long-term expectations” aspect of things, but neither pushed the other into it.

While back at Goku’s capsule home, when they weren’t either eating or all over one another, they each tended to take to their own devices for a little while. Goku had noticed that the Prince has been texting someone quite a bit, or several someone’s, he wasn’t sure, but honestly, he didn’t really care who or why. Goku had took to mediating every once in a while, and he had gone to check in on Chi Chi and Gohan a few times, too, only swinging by in silence without letting anyone know he’d been there, but that’s about the only thing he’d been doing other than Vegeta and hunting for food with him.

Vegeta seemed content with _him_ overall, but impatient and observant about everything else, and while he didn’t have much to say other than the normal quips here and there about this quirk in Goku’s mannerisms or that quirk in Goku’s tastes, the Prince did find time to complain about the fact that he had nothing to wear here other than Kakarot’s clothing, which was simply too big for him. Goku only laughed about it at first and told him that he didn’t need to wear anything _at all_ , which Vegeta let slide once or twice, but he was beginning to get a little more than annoyed at not having his own things.

Goku decided he has a point, and he wasn’t being too ridiculous, really. Besides, they were going to have to go and speak with Bulma and Chi Chi eventually. Chi Chi probably knew by now why he was missing but staying gone wasn’t going to make the reunion any better. Bulma, on the other hand, Goku still hasn’t asked Vegeta what’s going on with that.

After another few days, neither man wanted to rush the departure from their privacy but they both knew it was necessary, so Goku offered for them to get him some clothes, to which Vegeta agreed and told him that he was going to go to Capsule Corp. with him, but he convinced him that it could wait one more day. Goku didn’t understand the delay, since Vegeta’s been practically complaining this whole time, but he agreed with him regardless, no questions asked. It could wait one more day.

Once on their way to see Bulma, Goku finally decided that some questions were going to have to be answered, so he asked, “Where are we… going to live?” It was the easiest, least combative question he could think of to ask the other man since they hadn’t talked about, well, any of the details.

Vegeta eyed him for a moment before he murmured, “That depends…” but he didn’t offer any other information.

Goku didn’t know what to think about that response.

They arrived quickly, while Goku kept the rest of his thoughts to himself. Vegeta walked right into the house, followed by a very meek, but mostly carefree Goku. When they came inside, Zuko, Halise, and Rictor were all there waiting for him, as though they’d known he was coming, and they bombarded him with hugs and cries of joy the moment he entered the home. So caught up in their presence, Goku didn’t notice that Vegeta had left him behind until it was too late to go and follow him.

“ _Captain_ Goku!” they mocked, “It’s so good to see you man!”

Goku was beside himself. When did they get here?!

“How did it go?!”

“Are you guys official?!”

“ _‘Prince’ Captain Goku!_ ” They laughed.

“Man, you’re bigger than the last time we saw you, what have you been eating?!”

“Your son is something else! You’ve got to be so proud!”

“Tell us what happened!”

Goku blushed and laughed, overwhelmed. Did they know what he’s been doing? Did Vegeta tell them? How long have they been here?! They met Gohan?! And Chi Chi?!

“Yes, _Captain_ ,” Felia smirked from behind the three of them, “You have to tell us what’s going on!”

He smiled at her, but still didn’t reply.

The rest of the Saiyans in the home gathered quickly, having sensed his and Vegeta’s coming with the use of their scouters, and they were eager to hear the tale, and they told him so.

Goku blushed, but again, he didn’t know what to say. He could only scratch the back of his head and he told them, “Well, Vegeta, I mean, Prince Vegeta and I are going to Prince Tarble’s coronation together...”

Everyone hollered in excitement. That was good enough of a confirmation for them.

They made their way over to a common room and from there, Zuko, Rictor, and Halise explained that they’d been here for a while, now, and that they had to keep it a secret, and that they wanted to come and see him, but that they couldn’t. They told him about how the Prince had planned out handing over the crown, and coming to live on Earth, and about how he’d beat up Leno and some of the other men at a party in the castle only a few months before they left, and about how they knew it was just a matter of time considering how Vegeta had confessed to having feelings for him to his father, and in front of the others back during the battle with the androids.

Goku was astonished as he listened to their stories. No, he was absolutely _floored_ to hear such things. He didn’t know _half_ of that, and he didn’t know what to think about most of it, but he was touched, nonetheless. No, he was beyond touched, he was downright emotional. Turns out Vegeta didn’t tell him hardly anything at all! Still, he supposed it wasn’t necessary, and he kept his composure as best as he could as he listened to everything they had to say.

They explained about how the Prince had come to tell Bulma his plans, and that the Princess agreed to it, although _why_ she agreed they still weren’t sure, but they said that so far things have been going quite well between them, and they congratulated him on everything, again, but still, they questioned him about Chi Chi, and asked how that went.

Goku couldn’t answer. He didn’t have an answer. He wondered at the fact that everyone seemed _happy_ for him. Happy for _both_ of them. _All_ of them. It warmed his heart.

“Kakarot!” Vegeta growled, causing Goku to jump a little and turn to him guiltily as he came into the room freshly showered and changed into some of his own clothing. Goku felt weird having been discussing something so private with so many people about someone he’d never been _allowed_ to discuss before, and he honestly wasn’t sure what Vegeta was going to say. Are they even allowed to be talking about this?

Everyone else smiled at the Prince, but they stopped talking as he entered the room and they bowed to him.

“Did you know that you have guests waiting for you?!” Vegeta barked at Goku, ignoring everyone else.

“What? I do?” Goku asked, knotting his brows together in confusion and standing up quickly, “Who is it?”

“Go, now!” Vegeta growled, but Goku saw some amusement on his face, “I’m sure they’re tired of waiting for you!”

“Oh- Okay…” Goku replied, carelessly, heading out and back through the house. Vegeta followed Kakarot out the door.

The remaining Saiyans looked at each other before deciding that they were going to follow them as well.

Goku honestly wasn’t sure where he was going, but he was fairly certain he was heading in the right direction, as he was catching the scent of something very familiar. Someone, actually. Several someone’s.

Goku thought, _‘It can’t be.’_

He suddenly ran to the front of the house as soon as he was certain that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him, and he practically mauled his family over the moment he spotted them. Bardock and Raditz were both there, smiling with open arms, ready for the attack, and they accepted him in an embrace Goku would never forget.

Minala was there, too, with Radom, and once Goku could manage to pull away from his brother and his father, he turned to Minala and Radom and hugged them, too, overjoyed to have them all here.

“I-” Goku balked at them, “How…? When…?”

“Ah,” Bardock said, smirking, and looking past Goku at the Prince who was standing some ways behind him, arms crossed, watching them, along with the rest of the Saiyans behind him, coming in from the hallway as they spoke. Bardock explained, “Prince Vegeta made a very good case for the use of our company here for a little while and he managed to clear out our schedules for us.” He bowed to Vegeta, as did Minala and Raditz.

Goku turned to the Prince, shocked.

Vegeta could only smirk at him and his family as he came forward, but he replied, straightening out his smile as he mentioned nonchalantly, “Yes, well, I couldn’t very well have you miss meeting your grandson while he’s still so young, Bardock, and I know how sentimental you’ve gotten over these long years. Your work can wait, but of course, you can still work here, can’t you? Bulma will be thrilled to have you, and Trunks and Gohan need someone to play with them! Someone like Radom, who can handle their strength! As for Raditz, well, he’s been working hard, and his brat of a younger brother stole most of his vacation away from him a couple of years ago. I figured he needed some time off.”

Everyone watching smiled.

Goku wrapped his arms around Vegeta before he could stop him and squeezed him tight.

“Off!” Vegeta cried, his eyes wild and face red with embarrassment.

Goku let him go and chuckled, but his arm remained wrapped around the Prince’s shoulders affectionately, and he sighed as he looked around at everyone, speechless.

“Well, show us around!” Raditz grinned at the two of them, “Or take us to meet your son!”

Another voice joined the party, and everyone turned to look at the woman speaking as she said, “Oh no, you don’t!” They looked at her in surprise.

“Bulma?” Goku asked, his voice a little shaky. He let go of Vegeta and took a step closer as everyone cleared a path for the Princess to come through.

“You’re not going anywhere, Goku!” She declared, coming forward. Even as a human with a baby on her hip she was still an intimidating woman. She glared at him and Vegeta as she added, “Not until you introduce me to your family, and _properly_ this time!”

The group let out a collective sigh of relief.

She smiled at Goku and then turned to Bardock and the others and told them, “You guys are probably all starving! And I won’t have you leave until you’ve gotten something to eat and been able to relax first! That is, unless you’d rather talk shop first, Dr. Son?”

“Please!” Bardock bowed, “Your Highness, call me Bardock!”

Bulma hummed with approval and turned to Vegeta, giving him an indiscernible look. Vegeta smirked, seeming to understand her.

Goku realized he was in no danger, and even though he didn’t understand how it was possible, he was thrilled, and he ran over to his family and started introducing them to her, and her and the baby to them.

The rest of the day and night went by in whir of conversation and joking and food and drinks that Goku wasn’t sure he would ever be done with. He was introduced to everyone that was new on the guard and in the advisor’s group. He was surprised to see Emeri there, too, but happy, and even more pleased by the apparently brand-new relationship going on between her and Halise. He mentioned it once to Halise when no one was paying attention, but the man only shushed him and told him not to jinx him.

Goku took to happily roughhousing with his nephew as he listened in on conversations between Minala and Bulma. Meanwhile, there was teasing coming in his direction from his father and his brother, which were joined all too eagerly by Vegeta but no less endearingly, and he didn’t mind it half as much as he once might have. He couldn’t help but think that the night was too good to end. The only thing missing with Chi Chi and his son, and he mentioned it to Vegeta quietly, but the Prince simply nodded and told him they’d go to see them tomorrow, before moving the conversation along quickly.

Bulma’s teasing was what surprised Goku the most. She was very forward about the settled relationship between him and Vegeta, even to the point of Vegeta’s utter embarrassment, but it seemed she couldn’t care less. Goku didn’t know what Vegeta had said to her, or to any of them, for that matter, for her to be so nonchalant about the whole thing, but he found that the fact that it was all out in the open made him happier than anything, and he was so unbothered by everything that he stopped blushing about halfway through the night and could only laugh. Either that or his face was flushed beyond the capability to become any redder, and there was nothing he could do about it, so he just accepted it and made the most of the evening.

Eventually, Bulma asked for Goku to come and speak with her in private, which he did, following her further into the house he was no longer familiar with. Once alone, she handed him a very official looking letter and told him to open it.

He does as she asked and read it while she watched. It said that he is summoned to the castle for the Coronation of Prince Tarble, but that he must attend a private meeting with His Highness the Prince at least a few days before the ceremony is to take place, where his position at the castle, and his place in the army, as well as his reputation amongst his people, will be discussed in full detail. He looks up at her in less surprise and more concern than anything.

“I know what that letter says,” Bulma smirked at him, “Are you nervous?”

“Yeah… Kind of…” Goku admitted.

“Good!” she remarked, haughtily, “You should be! After all! You practically stole my husband from me! And you’ve been neglecting your duties as my guard for over a year, now!”

Again, not surprised by her forwardness, and knowing this conversation was coming, Goku slumps his shoulder a little and answers, “Bulma, I’m sorry… I know I-”

“Oh, Goku, hush!” she smiled, her demeanor changing rapidly, and she placed a hand on his shoulder and told him, “You saved his life, didn’t you, back when you guys were fighting the androids? I’ve heard the story many times now… You didn’t tell me that part… But after hearing about how the two of you were so involved… yet you both tried to do your best with what was expected of you. I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. I know you that you love him, Goku. And I don’t _blame_ you for loving him. You know that, right?”

“Huh?” Goku gulped.

Bulma laughed, a little drunk, but obviously not as mad as he thought she was, and she told him, “How can I? I jumped at the chance to marry him after barely knowing him for a _week_ , but even though you loved him, you still watched him walk away, and you never stopped caring for him. And you never took it out on me… I couldn’t have done that,” she shook her head, “I’m happy for you, both of you.”

“Bulma, I…”

She smiled, and it caught him off guard, as she said, “I don’t need to know the details, although I wouldn’t mind some pictures,” she winked, “Really, I’m not mad, Goku.” She sighed, “I was, and I’m still _annoyed_ , but I’ll get over it. You’re not in my guard anymore, by the way. I already asked Tarble to resign you from the position, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

Goku could only gawk at her.

She laughed, “Vegeta’s got more than enough money to support us a thousand times over! And by us, yes, I mean you, me, Trunks, Gohan, Chi Chi,” she laughed again, “Not to mention I have my own source of income. Everything will be fine. Don’t you worry. But, as for what Chi Chi’s going to do about all of this, I don’t know. She hasn’t told me. And what’s Tarble going to say to you?! I have no idea! Maybe he’ll take it easy on you, hmm? Or maybe it’s King Vegeta you should be worried about, and he is going to punish you, after all. I don’t know how that works on your planet. It’s not my problem, either. Besides! I won’t be there to find out, anyways, so good luck with all of that!”

“You’re not coming to the coronation?” Goku wondered, still digesting everything else.

She shook her head, “Even with our tech, as advanced as it is, it’d be impossible. There’s just no way, and to tell you the truth, I’m good with that. I’ve been thinking about you Saiyans a lot. And it does make sense- why your people are so much more powerful than us, yet so similar- You were _born_ under ten times Earth’s gravity! Your bodies are denser and more compact than ours! So much more resistant and resourceful at a biomolecular level. Even though your atmosphere is mostly comprised of the same elements, only more severe,” She shook her head again, knowing she would lose him if she got too deep into it, and instead she told him, “You said yourself that you and Vegeta are simply compatible in ways that the Saiyans and the Humans are not…” she sighed, “And you’re right. I’ve always known that, deep down.” She smirked pensively and said, “I could never have done what you did. I’m not you, Goku, I’m me, and that’s okay,” she nodded, and laughed a little arrogantly, “Believe me, I’m good with that.”

“Bulma…” Goku almost chuckled at her self-assuredness, but instead he offered peace between them one more time, tired of having all of this on his mind, and he told her, “I want you to know that I never wanted to hurt you.”

“I know…” she smized, “I mean, you did, and _he_ did, but I’m still getting the better of you!” Goku must have looked puzzled because she laughed again and explained, “I have everything I’ve ever wanted and more, and it’s all thanks to you, if you think about it. I even got the adventure of a lifetime I was looking for! The knowledge that my childhood dreams were not just fairytales and that my chasing after them all those years wasn’t for nothing. Now I have the company of others that I didn’t know I needed, and a family I didn’t know I wanted. I don’t know about you, but I, well, you weren’t the only one floundering a bit. You’ve inspired me, Goku, you and Vegeta… to be a better person, to myself and to others. Honestly, I couldn’t be happier. You on the other hand, you have a plateful, and not the kind that you prefer,” She snickered, “You’ll just have to deal with the consequences of your actions in your own way, and you’ve still got quite a bit of things to take care of to top it all off. You really need to go and talk to Chi Chi.”

Goku nodded, “I know.” He couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“I heard you haven’t been home in almost two weeks!” she nagged, “You better get your ass there tomorrow!”

“I will,” Goku smiled, a little numb, “I promise.”

“Good! I’m not responsible for you, anymore, you know, so don’t come to me with your problems. Unless, of course, you’re coming as a friend…”

“I’d like that,” Goku’s smile widened.

“Me too,” Bulma agreed and then she suddenly ran into his arms, squeezing him tight. Goku held her close, surprised, but pleased, as she told him, sighingly, “Thank you… for taking care of him. For saving him.”

“Hm?” Goku mumbled, still processing.

“I know you didn’t do it for me… and I know you, Goku, you didn’t do it for _you_ , either. You didn’t do it for the guard, or to prove yourself. You didn’t do it for fame or recognition. You just did it because… because you would have done it for anyone. But I… Goku…” she pressed closer into his chest, muttering, “I don’t know what I would have done without him.”

“Me neither,” Goku admitted and his grip around her increased at her understanding.

“Or you,” she added, and clutched him even stronger.

“Bulma… I feel the same way…” he whispered, “Thank you… Thank you for understanding…”

“Don’t mention it!” She pulled away and wiped a stray tear from her eye, “Seriously. Well, now!” she cleared her throat, “I must be getting back so I can say good night and head to bed! And you, too, Goku!” she scolded, “You get some rest!”

He could only nod and smile as she threw her nose up at him in mock dignity, flipping her hair and winking, and then she left.

The next day Vegeta stayed true to his word and he took Goku and his family to see Chi Chi and Gohan first thing in the morning. Going to see her like this felt more acceptable to him, for some reason, and besides, he’d needed the extra time to get a few more things in order first.

If Chi Chi had thought she was besieged before, when all the other Saiyans were over with Bulma and Trunks, then she was completely taken by wonder to meet the rest of Goku’s family, and even more curious at the fact that Vegeta had shown up with them. She lightly scolded Goku on not warning her about this whole thing first, but Goku only gushed and told her he was sorry, even when she could tell that he wasn’t.

She didn’t have time to be upset, though. Bardock was nothing but charming, polite, and full of parental comradery, immediately whisking Gohan into his arms and showering both the baby and Chi Chi with compliments that were pleasant and not over the top, and he and Raditz were both quick to warm up to her father in a way that she couldn’t help but admire, and it put her instantly at ease. The moment she mentioned cooking, desperate to get away and content in ignoring Vegeta for the moment, Minala handed Radom to Goku and insisted that she helps her out, and she followed her into the kitchen, ready to lend a hand and learn about Earth’s foods from a native. The two of them got along immediately.

The morning went by pleasantly, as unexpected as it had been, with the house full of laughter and children screaming in delight, and even though Vegeta had at first been staying on the sidelines, even he couldn’t help but smirk at the sight of the family so wrapped up in one another. Still, he had some things to take care of that couldn’t wait.

He came into the kitchen where Minala and Chi Chi were finishing up, and requested an audience with Chi Chi alone, asking her to take him somewhere in the home where they could speak privately.

She obliged with a simple nod and cunning eyes, more than ready to speak her mind.

Once they were alone, with the door shut, and the others were preoccupied with food and drink, Chi Chi turned to the Prince and told him, placing her hands on her hips, “I’m not surprised you didn’t come in the other day, even though I know you were here for some time, standing outside of my house. I guess you were waiting for him. Did he know you were coming?”

He didn’t answer. He only folded his arms over his chest, tightened his lips, and stood his ground against her.

She glared at him, “I do wonder where you whisked him off to for nearly two weeks… taking him away from me and _our_ _baby_.”

Vegeta only frowned a little more.

“I guess it doesn’t matter, and I guess I know exactly where you went, to that house he’s kept, the one Bulma gave him. The same place he took _me_.”

Vegeta’s eyes showed her some recognition of her words, and she knew that she was right.

She scowled and remarked, “Bulma tells me you’re staying on Earth from now on. Is that true?”

“Yes,” he answered concisely.

“For him? Or for Trunks? Or what? Because you’ve made it clear that you’re not staying for her.” It seemed she wanted to say something else, but she bit her tongue and held it in.

He raised a brow and replied, “Have I? I wasn’t aware that you were so privy to my personal business. Are you questioning my motives in moving to this planet, _Princess_? What gives you the right?”

She huffed and mulled over his questions. Finally, she said, “I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, so let’s not pretend to be anything more than the most distant of acquaintances. Still, I’m sure you’ve been thinking a lot about this; at least you should have been, if you care at all. I know I have been thinking about it. So has Bulma. Even Goku’s been lost in thought about all of this, and he doesn’t stop to think much about most things. But regardless of what you might think about me and about this predicament that you two have caused, and even with everything that’s happened, I, for one, still care for Goku. He’s a good man. The last thing he needs is someone using him for their own personal pleasure, just to throw him aside once they’re through with him. Like you did before. Sound familiar? I’ve heard the other’s talk about your relationship with him. Didn’t sound like much to me. In fact, it sounds to me like you didn’t really care for him in the first place. I don’t believe in placating a situation as serious as this one, your Highness, regardless if they all think you might have turned a corner in your feelings for him.”

Vegeta raised a brow at her, slightly impressed, but he offered no response.

She added, firmly, “And while I’m being honest, I don’t appreciate how you’ve handled this situation at all. In fact, I think this whole thing is your fault. The androids. This horrible affair you’ve wrapped Goku up into! My broken home! Yours! It’s all _your_ fault!”

The Prince didn’t say anything to that. She was right. He knew it, and so did she.

Chi Chi explained, “Bottom line: You don’t need to worry about my feelings so don’t bother with the niceties when it comes to me. I’m not buying whatever your selling. But Goku is different. He loves you. I have no idea why. That’s his decision, and I can’t stop him, but I don’t want to see him getting hurt by you again, especially when there’s no need for it, and especially since it’s already been hard enough on everybody involved, and especially on him. So, I’m going to give you a choice… You can leave, now, and never come to my home again, or you can promise me…” she paused for effect, “Promise me that you actually care for him and that you won’t make this worse.”

He wasn’t expecting that. His powerful gaze turned thoughtful as he considered her words and he looked upon her with some degree of pride in her stance.

She was telling him, “Goku’s made it clear to me that he was never really mine to begin with. I wish he’d told me the truth in the beginning, instead of pretending to love me.”

“What would you have had him say?” Vegeta wondered, watching as her façade began to crumble under the pressure of this conversation.

She still had her hands on her hips as she stared him down, but even as proud and resilient as she is, she couldn’t maintain her air of sternness around him for long, and she sighed, taking a seat, and admitted, looking away, “I don’t know. Something. The truth.”

Vegeta watched her closely, admiring her a little bit, and just how Saiyan-like she seemed to him, even upon meeting her for the second time.

Her eyes flew up to his once more, and she said, “But that doesn’t matter, now! I have bigger things to worry about. And when it comes to him, you have a power here that I do not. You have the chance to make things right, or, if you don’t intend on actually being in his life, and I’m assuming the life of my son, then I want you to leave, now, and never come back. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. My family deserves at least that much.”

Vegeta walked across the room surveying their surroundings blankly as he was pondering her offer, and he asked her, curiously, his eyes flickering to her, “So, you still want to marry him?”

She looked surprised by that question.

His gaze was severe upon her, and he wondered, “Even after all of this?”

“Yes,” she frowned, and he could see that she was on the verge of tears, but she was holding them back, and trying to keep her demeanor as calm as possible. She told him, “Goku’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and he’s the father of my child, of course I want to marry him. Even now. I can’t imagine ever bringing another man into Gohan’s life, or mine for that matter. I would still marry him, even though I know he’d only be doing it to make me happy.”

“Then what difference does it make if I take you up on your offer?” Vegeta questioned, “You plan on marrying him, and he’s clearly not going anywhere. What does my part to play in all of this really matter to you? And who are you to give me such an ultimatum?” Although his words bit, he didn’t deliver them harshly.

She stood back up and raised her voice, wounded by them regardless, “Because he loves you! And I won’t have you coming around whenever you please just to end up hurting him again! Or hurting my son! I am strong woman, _Prince Vegeta_ , I can handle all of this on my own! Without you! And even without him! But I’m _choosing_ to keep him around because he _wants_ to be here! But if you _don’t_ then tell me, now! It’d be better off for everyone in the long run! I won’t even tell him what we talked about. I just don’t want to see him hurting so badly anymore! Do you love him or not? Did you ever love him?! If not, I need you to go! And I’ll pick up the pieces of my broken home and put it back together again by myself! Even if it takes the rest of my life!”

He stared at her for some time before he cracked a smirk. He even chuckled a little.

She was not amused.

“My,” he breathed, “I wonder why _you_ were not on my list of women to meet when I first came here. Perhaps I ought to have taken your hand in marriage instead of Bulma’s, hmm? But I suppose it’s because you were too poor to be considered an option.”

“I— How dare you?!” She spat and she raised a hand at him.

Vegeta reached out and caught it, his face now left only a slight hint of his amusement, as he told her, “What is it with you bold women that we Saiyans love so much?”

She gasped slightly and gave him a queer look, but didn’t respond, as she found herself nearly eye to eye with him, uncomfortable, curious, confused, and intrigued by him, but not scared, and standing her ground all the same.

He let her hand drop and said, “Relax, I’m not serious about choosing you over Bulma, I would never, I’m just remarking on the kind of woman that you are and you are similar to her in a lot of ways, I can tell. Believe it or not, I did not choose her for insignificant, surface value reasons, but that’s none of your business,” He studied her face before admitting, “I’ve been very interested in getting to know you- when I said that the night we first met, I wasn’t lying- I’ve heard a lot about you, Chi Chi. _The woman who managed to coax Kakarot into marriage._ That news came as quite a surprise to his family and friends back on our planet and they mentioned it often, much to my annoyance. Did you know that he was never interested in getting married or settling down before he met you?”

Her eyes widened but she didn’t answer.

Vegeta smirked, “I don’t expect you to believe me, you’ve made it quite clear you’re suspicious of me, but it’s true. Kakarot was not interested in settling down, even after he and I had met.”

She remained quiet, but she held her head high as she considered his words and the truth in them.

“You may know him, yes, but you don’t understand him, do you? And for as much as you’ve thought this over, you don’t know me.”

She couldn’t even glare. She knew he was right.

He told her, “Sit, and I will tell you my intentions outright.”

She did as he’d asked and sat back down, while he took a seat in a chair opposite her. He revealed, “I never had any intentions of hurting him, or you, and I certainly don’t hold any ill will against you or your child. The same goes for Bulma and Trunks. And since you brought it up, I will confess that I am well aware that the destruction caused by the androids was my fault, but that does not mean that I _intended_ for any of that to happen.

“I never _intended_ to care for your beloved ‘Goku’ just the same as I never _intended_ to come here and destroy your engagement or my marriage, but… to put it bluntly, without using a lot of frilly words like you Earthlings tend to want to do… it couldn’t be helped and what’s done is done. As for my intentions now, I should think they’re quite obvious, and while your scorn against me is disgustingly sweet and I won’t deny I’m impressed with your gall in standing up for yourself,” he laughed, “And him! A man who certainly doesn’t need your protection!” he paused smirking, “Your sentiments are still worthless; nothing more than amusing at best.” She went to speak but he interrupted her, “I would have come into your home had _he_ been here to invite me into it. I refused to come inside out of respect for _you_. The respect I have for you has not been earned, but passed along, simply because of how much I admire your fiancé, and trust me, I’m not in the habit of handing out my good graces. Would you rather I had come then, without him here to protect you? Or should I say, without him here for you to protect? Or now, Princess? With him here and able to step in, if necessary, should the conversation between us go ill?”

Chi Chi only scowled, but she was listening closely as she remained perfectly still.

Vegeta said, crossing one leg over the other, “As for your ultimatum I can only say this: I’m here to stay, for good, whether you like it or not, but as for whether or not I will ever hurt him or you again, or even Bulma, Trunks, Gohan, the Earth, _whomever_ , that is a promise I will not and cannot make. I can’t see the future, and I am far from perfect, but believe me when I say, the method of pain, should it occur, will never be the same. I have no intentions of walking away from this,” at that he paused and looked off to the side. Then he revealed, his gaze turning back to her, “If I could marry him I would. I would steal that from you in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, I can’t, but I don’t begrudge you the right to accept him. It would be a wise choice on your end. Besides, Kakarot and I don’t need a marriage between us. We already have our own ‘matrimony,’ if you will.”

They heard knocking at the front door just as Vegeta was finishing his sentence and Chi Chi stood up, alert, and desperate to run away.

“Sit,” he commanded, “Let one of them get the door.”

“This is _my_ house,” she rebutted.

“They will get the door. Your guests can wait. We’re not done talking,” he argued.

She sat, placing one of her hands in her lap and the other on the armrest of the chair. She looked like a Queen if Vegeta had ever seen one, and he was pleased with her.

He uncrossed his legs and leaned forwards, reaching for her hand suddenly. At first she wanted to withdraw, but he was gentle with her, and the way his eyes bore into hers put her at ease, similar to the way Goku’s eyes always calm her when she’s in the middle of an uproar.

He said, “I’ve come here for more than just this conversation, Chi Chi, because I knew, no matter what you said, and no matter what I said, that this wouldn’t be the last time we spoke, and I don’t want it to be our desire for it to be the last time, either. Goku obviously cares for you, very much, and so does Bulma, and it’s important to me that Trunks and Gohan grow up together. So, regardless of how you feel about me, or what you think of me, I’d at least like for us to be civil.”

When he pulled his hand away, leaning back into his chair, she looked down and saw that he’d placed something inside of her own. A capsule.

“What is this?” she asked him, eyeing him closely.

“It’s a gift. And the people who’ve just arrived, they’re gifts for you as well.”

“What?! You knew-”

“I invited several aids to come and help you here. Inside of that capsule is some money and some quicker transportation, the newest model that Capsule Corp. has made. I’m aware that you live quite a good bit away from the city, and that you like to earn your living here, and I can respect that, but I want to better you and your family, in any way I can. Waiting for you in the other room are several women who’ve come from Planet Vegeta to help watch over you, Gohan, and your father. They will do whatever you ask of them.”

“But-!”

“I’ve even arranged for some of the best tutors for Gohan, and I will pay for whatever schooling, and whatever other hired professional help you require, whether for Gohan’s benefit, or your own.”

Chi Chi cried, “I cannot accept this!”

Vegeta shrugged, “This is not negotiable.”

She trembled and then burst into tears, unsure of what to think or how to feel about any of this.

He pressed, talking over her tears, “I’m not doing this as a peace offering, I’m doing this as a steward. If Goku is the man of this household, and he is _my_ man, then that makes me steward of your estate, and I do not pay a blind eye to people under my jurisdiction.”

She gasped and gave him an incredulous look.

He told her, “Stop crying. I can’t handle it. I’ve had quite enough of these emotional conversations and I’m tired of them, but I want you to know that this is not a formality.”

She calmed herself a little and pursed her lips, still concerned about many things, but unable to voice any of it.

“When you’re ready to make yourself presentable we will go back downstairs. I’ll wait here with you until you are ready. You have people to meet.”

“I…” she hesitated.

He silenced her, “Whatever you’re feeling, believe me, I’m not feeling much better. I’m a part of this, too, and I’ve taken my role in this very seriously. If there’s anyone’s word you should be listening to it should be mine, and not some clueless bystander whose tongue ran away with them like a gossip columnist, ready to comment on any and every little detail they only truly know a sliver of.”

She stared at him for some time as she dried her eyes. She had to admit, he reminded her of herself, the same way Bulma’s bright-eyed can-do attitude reminded her of Goku, and the thought made her smile involuntarily. As they looked upon one another, she couldn’t help but see some good qualities him whereas before she’d only seen him as unnecessarily gruff and insensitive.

She tried to refuse several more times, stating that she didn’t need the help and it wasn’t like her to accept something like this, especially for _nothing_ , but Vegeta wasn’t having it and pledged that it wasn’t any type of a debt. She’d even tried to get more out of him about Goku, but Vegeta wouldn’t budge. Apparently, he felt that he’d said enough for now, and truly, she figured that he had.

When Chi Chi and Vegeta emerge from the room they’d been hiding in, Vegeta introduces her to everyone who has come to stay at her home and help out with taking care of Gohan and running the household. She couldn’t deny that she was grateful to have so much help, although she intended to still do the majority of everything herself. Having the new transportation, the extra hands, and the extra money was certainly going to make life a little easier.

The Ox King was stuttering over his words as he spoke to Vegeta and his daughter about all of this change, but he was clearly thrilled, and the rest of the Son family just sat there talking about this and that, and remarked once or twice on how excellent Vegeta’s idea for helping her was with smiles on their faces. Goku’s face, though disguising his thoughts well enough to the others, gave Vegeta an entirely different impression than just simple gratitude, and he couldn’t wait to receive whatever thanks he was planning on bestowing him later in his own, more intimate way.

Chi Chi was in a daze the rest of the day, but she watched Vegeta and Goku with Radom and Gohan with the acute senses of a mother and she had to admit that she wasn’t disappointed.

When it came time for everyone to get back, since Chi Chi had the rooms, but not nearly enough of the supplies and since there were already Saiyans heading back from the store with some of what they needed, Goku told her that he was going to go back to Capsule Corp with his family. Although Chi Chi didn’t want him to, she still allowed him, sparing a watchful gaze to Vegeta who merely nodded back. She insisted that Goku stop by when he could. He promised he would.

When they got back to the home, it isn’t long into the evening before Raditz whisks Goku away to have a little brotherly heart to heart outside, away from everyone else. Goku noticed Vegeta and Bardock going off to speak alone, themselves, and he wonders what that’s about, even as he’s being dragged off in the opposite direction.

Once alone, Raditz begins bombarding him with questions.

“What the hell?!” He says, clobbering him over the head.

“Ow! Rad!” Goku whines, having not seen that coming.

“You are the biggest, whiniest, brattiest, most ridiculous person I know; you know that?”

“And you’re the biggest, hairiest, bossiest bully I know! Sheesh! And everyone thinks Vegeta’s mean! Compared to you he’s as sweet as a butterfly!”

“Oh, I’m sure he’d love to hear that you just called him a butterfly,” Raditz snickered.

Goku chuckled, “Please don’t tell him I said that.”

Raditz collapses onto one of the lawn chairs, offering for his brother to take a seat beside him before he says, “When did this happen? _How_ did this happen? Prince Vegeta?! If I had known you were gonna cause all this trouble I _definitely_ would have kept you from entering that tournament!” he sighed.

Goku wondered if his brother was truly bothered by his relationship with Vegeta.

Raditz remarked, seeming to have moved on from that topic, “I can’t believe you’re going to be living on Earth, now.”

Goku laughed as he looked up at the sky and confessed, “I know, but… I like it here,” he turned to his brother, adding, “I’m happy, Raditz. Be happy for me.” He hesitated, but then came forth with, “You know, I have to go back to Planet Vegeta to be evaluated by the King just before the coronation. I’m pretty nervous about it.”

Raditz snorted, “You better be, for all the trouble you’ve caused!”

Goku’s shoulders tensed.

His brother reached out and patted him on the back, squeezing his shoulder gently as he told him, “Happy, I mean.”

“Yeah…?” Goku grinned back at him and said, “I am. He was worth it.”

Bardock and Vegeta found themselves alone in the kitchen, where Bunny has just finished handing then something for dessert before prancing off for bed. Everyone else was either busy or had already gone to sleep, and Vegeta was eager to speak with Bardock alone for a moment.

“Care for a drink?” Vegeta asked him, smirking.

“You bet,” Bardock answered, eyeing the cupcake he’d just been handed before setting it down on the counter. He was more interested in getting a good buzz.

Vegeta went to pour them both something stiff, and once he’d finished, he turned around, handing Bardock his glass. They clinked their glasses together and downed the contents in a matter of seconds.

Then Bardock said, “So, how long did it take you to realize you couldn’t live without your son? Or mine?” He grinned.

The Prince told him, scoffing playfully, “Longer than I’d like to admit. But not as long as it’s taken for you and my father to plan out your little getaway. And to think, I’ve been standing in your way unknowingly this whole time.”

Bardock laughed, “You heard about that, huh? I knew you’d heard quite a bit of our conversation, but I wasn’t sure what you knew and what you didn’t. I guess you’re wondering if I’m going to tell my boys?”

“They’re abnormally fond of you,” Vegeta grunted, “But I won’t presume to tell you what to do,” and then he raised his glass. “One more?” he offered.

“Why not?”

As he was pouring this round, he told Bardock, “I haven’t told Kakarot, you know. Or Raditz. I only told Tarble, and even then, I didn’t tell him everything, and that little sneak wouldn’t care less even if he did know of your powers! Turns out he has been keeping things from me. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.” He turned back around and handed the cup back to him.

Bardock hummed, “Ah, yes, I do,” he laughed, “Are you surprised? He’s something else, isn’t he? I think the secrecy thing runs in your family, but I get it. Better than most.”

“I believe you do…” Vegeta remarked, and they clinked their cups again, as Vegeta added, “To the fallen… and the _unfound_.”

Bardock smirked and nodded. After taking this round, he asked the Prince, “Are you okay… with that? With us… running away together?”

“Who am I to tell you what to do?” Vegeta quirked a brow, “You fought for me to have the chance to do the same, didn’t you? Yes, Bardock, you know the answer to that question. Besides, you’d know if I was lying. I’m not sure why you’d even ask.”

Bardock only shook his head and chuckled.

“I must confess I was… angry that you knew me so well. All of my secret thoughts. All those times I felt as though you were looking right through me… At least now I know that I’m not crazy.”

“No… you’ve always been more sober minded than most. You were suspicious of me, without even knowing why. I’ve always been impressed with you.”

“Hn,” Vegeta chuffed, “Is it hard, knowing when you were being lied to?”

“No… It’s hard keeping my own lies from everyone else. I’m looking forward to getting away… but I want you to know… I always wanted this for you and Goku. And your father, he wanted it, too. We’re happy for you. I’ll make sure he comes to see Trunks before we leave.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for sticking with me! I hope you've enjoyed this story as it is finally coming to an end. The chapter count IS final. Ch 37 is the last chapter of this story- Ch 38 is just a short epilogue. I will be posting the last two chapters back to back next week, once they're both fully finished. Thank you, again, for taking the time out of your day to read, I hope it's brought some smiles to your faces
> 
> XOXO TristaML


	37. 37

Chapter 37

Goku’s family couldn’t stay for long, but he knew their farewell for now would be a short one, so they said their goodbyes cheerfully. All of the Saiyans on Earth were looking forward to going back home for the coronation, and the time to leave was coming quickly.

For now, Vegeta settled at Capsule Corp. with his family, while Goku remained at home with Chi Chi, that is, any time the two of them weren’t running off together to be alone for a little while. Everyone wondered why they were still doing that, and how long it would last until the living arrangements changed, but no one questioned it.

There was too much to do and to plan for during this time to worry about settling something so insignificant, at least, not since they both have homes of their own to return to at the end of the day. That’s how Goku and Vegeta felt, anyways, and it seemed to be understood, especially now that everything else between them and their women has finally been addressed.

It was almost strange, though, and definitely impressive, the communication that went on between the two of them, mostly unspoken. Something about the silent tilt of Goku’s chin or the subtle flick of Vegeta’s eyes would signify an entire conversation going on between the two of them, and to the rest of the Saiyans who were watching them closely, they figured they had it all worked out. Whatever their secrets were, they weren’t telling.

When the time came to head to Planet Vegeta, Goku and Vegeta didn’t want to risk Bulma and Chi Chi’s safety, so Vegeta made sure to hire extra security around both of their homes while all the Saiyans were gone, and they kept the news of their departure as hushed as they possibly could. Each of them would leave in groups in the middle of the night, hoping not to be noticed, until, at last, when it could wait no longer, Goku and Vegeta took off with Felia and the last remaining Saiyans.

The preparation for the wives’ safety wasn’t necessary, though. Princess Bulma’s name was only brought up with comments of positivity and prosperity. She was in no danger, and the world was doing better than even before the androids had made their strike. Likewise, Chi Chi and Goku had always maintained a low enough profile that she remained out of the sights or interests of curious news reporters, anyways.

Bulma wound up inviting Chi Chi and her family to stay with her in the duration of the other’s absence, and they spent much time in talk over everything, especially including all the changes that were going to come upon the return of their men. They felt comfortable and safe in each other’s company, and they were looking forward to the future, instead of dreading it, for the first time in a long while.

Back on Planet Vegeta, what the King had initially thought was going to take nearly two years was almost reconciled completely, and the people, no longer nervous to say so, were even more thrilled with the Coronation of Prince Tarble than they had been with Prince Vegeta, and they were eagerly awaiting that day to come.

When Goku, Vegeta, and the rest of the Saiyans arrived on Planet Vegeta, there were two weeks to spare in planning for the party and the castle was in an uproar. The people with them parted ways quickly, running off to their homes, or heading to see their friends and loved ones, but Vegeta headed straight for the castle.

Goku followed, unsure of what to do with himself, since he didn’t live there anymore, and he hadn’t been there since it was newly renovated, but Vegeta had thought ahead, taking care of his worries without a word spoken about it between them. He’d already ordered for several sets of clothing for him, and he assured him he going to be sleeping with him in his new/old chambers, of course. Food is really the only other _pressing_ concern Goku had, and well, Vegeta is still Prince- he got whatever he wanted- and so long as Goku was with him, he did, too.

The first thing they did when they got there was shower and change. Then they went out to eat and explore a little bit, before finally coming back to the castle to settle in for the night, deciding to take it easy. The next day when they went out, the Prince kept Goku by his side everywhere he went, and they travelled alone, forgoing all of his other bodyguards who would normally be accompanying him. Their clear willingness to be seen together, along with Goku’s new attire, which was stately to say the least, stopped most people from approaching either of them with any questions, and it was made quite clear that the rumors surrounding them were true. Most of the Saiyans watched them both from afar with reverence and didn’t dare to speak to them. Any who did, merely paid their respects and wished them well on Earth.

Vegeta, it seemed, was showing him off if nothing else. Goku appreciated it and his heart swelled in gratitude for the gesture once he realized that’s what was going on. At first, he’d complained about the showy clothing and the royal armor, and he was nervous about strutting around the castle when he hadn’t seen or talked to Prince Tarble or the King, yet, but after a day or two, as he realized what Vegeta was doing, he admitted to himself that he needed this absolute confirmation of their relationship more than he’d thought. It was… nice. He finally got to walk the halls of the castle beside Vegeta with no shame and no false pretenses.

Once he was able to move past the show Vegeta was putting on, he and Vegeta spent some time looking around, enjoying themselves and appreciating their surroundings as they were taking in the new décor and commenting casually about the updated layout. Vegeta wasn’t asked to join any meetings which would usually take up so much of his time, and Goku was grateful for that, too. Even Vegeta seemed a little at odds at not being called to do anything, but once they realized how much free time they had, they were eager to spend it wisely. They used some of their down time to dine out and travel from city to city, taking in the changes that have been made, and savoring the culture of their people while they could. No one bothered them.

Vegeta turned insistent that they spend their free time training together, which gathered to a _lot_ of onlookers, and Goku loved every minute of those battles. Well, almost every minute. The constant spectators watching their every move often created a heightened sense of sexual frustration within him. Not being able to pounce on the Prince whenever he wanted, or distract him with a touch that lingered too long here, or a remark that could have a double meaning there was grating, but it also led to a hell of a night once they could finally get some alone time long enough to get their hands on one another.

Especially when Vegeta, who was putting on an elaborate show in which he and Goku were the stars of, decided to kick it up a notch by luring Goku into turning into a Super Saiyan. The onlookers gawked, while Vegeta smirked at him. Goku could only laugh as they battled in their transformed states, leaving everybody watching in awe and admiration. It was a smooth move on Vegeta’s part, and Goku was impressed, yet again, with how cunning he can be. He was leaving no doubt in the people’s mind that he _could_ , if he wanted to, be their King, and furthermore, that Goku belonged by his side.

Ever since they got back to Planet Vegeta time flew by, especially when considering how much of it they were spending in bed. Or on the floor. In the shower. Random rooms. _Wherever_. They were so engulfed in one another that it seemed like any plans they made with others were more of a nuisance than something to look forward to.

They were good at expressing themselves physically, they’d noticed. Verbally, however, not so much. They talked, sure, but it was hardly about anything serious, and even when they did speak it never amounted to much more than a silly argument over something meaningless that was always dropped just as quickly as it had started. So, Goku never brought up anything important, and Vegeta wouldn’t dare consider doing such a thing. Instead, they used their tails to communicate their moods, and their eyes to convey messages their mouths would have to wait to explain under pretense of passion later on.

The important celebration they’d come here for was fast approaching though, not to mention the secondary meeting Goku had been summoned for, which has been finalized with a date and a time not two days after they’d arrived, via a note left in Vegeta’s chambers. The letter had been so vague about the topic of discussion, but it was clear about the time and date. And that he was asked to go alone. All he knew for sure was that he was going to be speaking with his King, who he could only assume was mad at him, and his King-to-be, who hadn’t been in contact with him at all ever since Vegeta had showed up at his house back on Earth.

He kept expecting to see Tarble whenever he and Vegeta were walking the halls of the castle, but he never did and he was on high alert for news of the King, but he never heard or saw a hint about him. He wondered if Vegeta was avoiding them, but he guessed that maybe they were just busy, and that Vegeta just didn’t care to see them. Surely Vegeta had said quite a bit to both his father and his brother before he left, and Goku wondered about that, too, but he figured he’d never really know all of the details, aside from what the other’s had told him. He tried to shrug it off.

When it finally came time for Goku to meet with Tarble and the King, Vegeta parted ways with him and told him to come and find him when he was through. Vegeta, at least, was treating the occasion with no amount of concern.

Goku, on the other hand, was still nervous. It couldn’t be helped.

He trudged forwards, coming into the halls of the King, as requested. He headed towards the door of the throne room. The guards keeping the door thereof opened it upon his arrival without hesitation. He made his way inside and noticed immediately that there was no one in the room other than Prince Tarble and King Vegeta. The two guards at the door quickly closed him inside of the room, with themselves on the outside, while they waited and stood watch over the doors, keeping everyone else out, and essentially locking him up with King Vegeta and Prince Tarble.

Goku approached the throne proudly, despite his worries, and bowed low, taking a knee, and covering his heart with his right hand as is custom.

“Well, well, Kakarot ‘ _Goku’_ Son, at my service at last!” Tarble said in a strangely powerful voice. He seemed amused, but something in his voice held a hint of danger. Tarble was saying, “Hmm, is it _Captain_ Goku, now, or perhaps, if you will, _Prince_ Goku?” he was grinning, Goku was sure of it. “Would you prefer one over the other?”

“Just ‘Goku’, my Liege…” he answered. He didn’t look up, yet. He wanted to, but Tarble hasn’t told him he can stand.

“Ah, but surely you must be looking for some recognition!” Tarble surmised, “Surely you must be interested in proclaiming your rights to be called a Captain of the Saiyan Army! Or even a Prince of Planet Vegeta! After all! You’ve managed to entangle yourself into the arms of my brother, somehow deter his loyalty to his rightful Queen, and even lure him away from his place as King! And did you or did you not _save_ _his life_?!”

Surprised by Tarble’s generally derisive attitude, Goku answered, “I—I did, but I-”

“And you want _nothing_ in return?! Not even a simple title issued out of respect for your actions?! I find that hard to believe! Especially since it’s already been hinted that you would be receiving it! Aren’t the men already calling you their Captain?”

“Yes, your Highness- uh, your Majesty- They are, but,” Goku replied, confused, and still stuck staring at the ground, he added, “I don’t care about titles of office…”

Tarble’s grin turned wicked even though Goku couldn’t see it, and he said, “And what of my brother?! What of your affair?! From my understanding you two have worked things out with your women, but I must say I find that surprising. The cheating between you is disgraceful and I don’t understand the situation myself. It’s not as though you have anything else to offer other than your undying love. Although, I’ve heard the two of you have been putting on a rather impressive display of your powerful Super Saiyans forms in the training rooms as of late. Perhaps it’s your power that has him so enraptured, hm?”

Goku froze and thought about what he meant.

“Well?” Tarble was saying, “Do you have anything to say? Do you honestly expect us to believe that you truly love him?! And that he loves you?!”

“I told you that I do,” Goku lifted his chin slightly, daring to look up for a moment, and he frowned, looking back down at the ground in annoyance, and said, “You _know_ that I do.”

Tarble clicked his tongue, “Yes, you’ve told me as much, but I find it hard to believe that a formerly second class, no _third class_ male could say that he’s in love with his Prince, the _rightful_ heir to the crown of this planet, _and yet have no ulterior motives at all_.”

Goku’s pout deepened, “If I said my motives for having him were selfish would that make it any better?”

The King remained a quiet spectator, and Goku had no gauge on his reactions at the moment, but Tarble laughed and stood up from his seat, coming down the stairs to speak with him a little closer. “Perhaps it makes _some_ sense…” he said, “You’re saying you simply want him for yourself, hmm? For no other reason than your own _selfish_ desires? I suppose, yes, that I _could_ buy… although I might question your sanity in the matter… But now that you have him… and now that you have the opportunity to claim something _more_ … is there nothing else you want? I have to make a decision, you see, and I’m trying to be concise in what to do with you…”

“What to do with me, your Highness?” Goku resisted the urge to flinch. Tarble’s never treated him like this before. Is taking over the crown and the planet going to his head? Goku didn’t think he was that type of man.

Tarble stalked him, walking around him in circles, “Yes, I’m not sure what to do with a man like you…” he nodded, thoughtfully.

Goku watched his shadow as he walked and could tell that he was scratching his chin. He couldn’t help but wonder if he’s enjoying this. He couldn’t help but wonder why he’s doing this! He thought Tarble _liked_ him a _little_.

Tarble finally said, as he went back to his chair and sat back down, “I recall a conversation we had some time ago about my brother… and about… _Kingship_. Do you remember it?”

Goku hesitated and blushed, “I remember it well, my Liege.” He thought, _‘Fuck.’_

The King’s eyes were curiously upon him, as well as Tarble’s piercing gaze, and while Goku remained silent and ignorant to the looks he was receiving from them, he still felt exposed under their combined gazes, and awkward in his current state, on his knee before them. He kept his composure, though, and waited for Tarble to speak again.

“What was it that you said to me that day, just before you left to serve as the head of the Princess’ Guard?”

“I…” Goku fumbled, swallowing hard, and still staring at the floor, “I said that a man’s responsibilities are not more or less important just because of a title given to that man.”

“And…?” Tarble pressed, his eyes flicking to his father.

Goku’s eyes lifted to Tarble’s bravely for a moment before he said, going back to staring at the tiled ground, “And I told you that I believe that any man can make a difference, and that no one is less important in society just because he isn’t a King.”

“Interesting,” Tarble is _definitely_ enjoying this.

Goku’s remained staring at the ground, but he still questioned in a growingly exasperated voice, “My Liege?”

“What’s more interesting,” Tarble interrupted him, moving in his seat, “Is that you’ve proved your point to me, haven’t you? To everyone! Quite clearly and unequivocally, in fact! And you’ve held true to your word! Well, part of it,” he chuckled, “You also promised you wouldn’t pursue my brother after his marriage, did you not?”

“… I did…” Goku answered, now certain that he _is_ going to be punished.

Tarble chuckled, and Goku heard some shifting as the Prince leaned forward, and his voice seemed a little closer as Tarble told him, “Well, I must say, I’m not at all surprised that you went against that promise, _Captain_ Goku.”

Goku’s eyes widened and he dared to look up at him again.

Tarble was smiling now, “You were right, one man can make all the difference. After all, you’ve made such a great impact on our lives, and on Vegeta’s life, especially. It’s really no wonder that my brother is so obsessed with you. Truly you are a force to be reckoned with, but I have to wonder if any of that means that you can be trusted. You held true to yourself, first and foremost. You followed your instincts, and you certainly managed to make quite the name for yourself. As a leader amongst my fellow men I can respect that, but I can’t help but question your intentions. And besides, the Royal House is indebted to you. You and I both know that your actions can’t go without some sort of consequence. I’m giving you a great opportunity here. Why don’t you just tell me what is it that you want?”

Goku couldn’t believe what he was hearing, and his hand dropped from his heart to rest on his knee as he tried to think of a way to convince Tarble of something he thought he’d already convinced him of. He questioned him with a pleading stare as he told him, “I don’t want anything.”

“Is that so?” Tarble’s eyes narrowed at him, suspiciously, “Well! At the very least, you have successfully fulfilled your role as a bodyguard. Although, from what I understand, you were hardly available for the _Princess’_ service, and I know you were never really interested in that position to begin with, whether over her or Prince Vegeta. Does it please you to know that I have relieved you of your duties to the Royal House? You may hence-forth remain on Earth, to be with your son and your fiancé, if she is still your fiancé…” He waited for a reply but Goku didn’t say anything, he only frowned. Tarble sighed overtly, “You still have nothing to say? That’s fine. That still leaves other matters to address…” He drummed his fingertips on the arm of his throne, “What shall we do about your blatant disregard for Prince Vegeta’s orders, hmm? Or your lack of concern for the orders of your King?! Or mine, for that matter.”

Goku finally stood up to his feet and declared, “If you were upset with me, then, for not going to Planet Vegeta when you suggested it, why didn’t you tell me while we were on Earth? I didn’t disregard anyone else’s orders, except for Vegeta’s on the one occasion… But I only did that because I thought that he needed some perspective! It was in the heat of the moment! We had to do something!”

“ _‘He needed some perspective,’_ ” Tarble chuckled cruelly, “Is that what they’re calling it nowadays?”

Goku shook his head, knowing he was crossing the line, but it was too late, and he growled, tired of these games, tired of being led on by someone he thought understood him but apparently doesn’t, and he argued, “If he had left, we _all_ would have died and you know it! He wanted to come back to our home planet- so did I!- But we knew more about what was going on than anyone else because of circumstances we couldn’t possibly have predicted, and yes, I asked him to stay… Maybe that was out of line, but when it comes down to it, he made his own choice. Considering the alternative, I think it’s safe to say it was the right one…”

“You are confidant of that?” Tarble asked, smirking.

“Yes!” Goku barked, “He _needed_ to stay. _I_ needed him to stay! I couldn’t have done _anything_ without him there. Or you, for that matter!”

“I’m flattered that you would consider my role in all of this when it was the two of you who were battling those beings all alone to begin with. And I must say, when the men told me of your sacrifice to protect my brother, I was a bit surprised. No one has ever done anything like that before in the history of our bodyguards, and I still find it somewhat… confusing.”

Goku growled, “You’re insinuating that I saved his life for my own personal gain, is that it?! You’re wrong!”

“Really?” Tarble asked, shifting again in his chair.

“How can I prove it to you?! How many times will you have me say it?! How much longer are we going to have to go over this?! I saved his life because I love him! And if you’re gonna punish me for that, then fine. Do it. I don’t care what you do, but I’m not just going to stand here and let you tell me that how I feel for him is nothing more than a way to have my pocket padded by the Royal House! I don’t care about money! Or fame! Or whatever is it that you think that I want from you!”

Tarble glanced at the King, who was watching Goku closely.

Ignoring whatever their silent exchange was about, Goku argued, “It’s true that I wasn’t a good guard to Princess Bulma, but she didn’t need me there on a daily basis. She had plenty of women taking care of her, and just because I wasn’t going to dinners or meetings with her whenever she left the house doesn’t mean that she and I didn’t have a good relationship. I was helping her in other ways. Besides! Getting away from there was the only way for me to try and get over Vegeta in the first place. And I _did_ try.”

“Did you?” Tarble wondered.

Goku looked away and shook his head sadly before he remarked, his eyes lifting back up to Tarble’s, “Do you have any idea what it’s like to love someone who isn’t allowed to love you back just because of social standards? Do you have any idea what it’s like to watch the one you love marry someone else when you know they don’t want to? Do you even know what it’s like to be in a love _at all_?!”

Tarble was taken aback, and the King’s eyes narrowed at him, but Goku was unaware of anyone’s emotions but his as the future King and the current King watched him and listened curiously.

He took in a deep breath and admitted, “ _I_ never knew what it was like before _him_! And I didn’t understand what was happening to me until it was too late. By the time I realized what I was feeling there was no going back. Vegeta means _everything_ to me. You’re asking me what I want? I want **him**. That’s it. Nothing more and nothing less. He is everything that I am not. He is everything that I could never be. He is everything that I respect and everything that I don’t understand all in one! And I refuse to let him go, again. I don’t care what this court has to say. I will not say my goodbyes to him under any circumstances other than death and old age or unless _he_ tells me he doesn’t feel the same way about me anymore. It should be _his_ decision. And mine. Not _yours!_ So, just…” he took a quivering breath, “Do what you’re going to do to me, already. I’m tired of this. What more do you want from me?!”

Tarble spared a pausing glance to his father before turning back to Goku. His eyes softened and he murmured and nodded, “This,” he said, replying gently, “This has been enough.”

“Huh??” Goku squeaked.

“Yes,” Tarble smirked at him, impressed, and his voice took on a much less calculating tone as he told him, “I believe you’ve been tormented for some time, now, haven’t you? After all, you somehow managed to fall in love with the most difficult and narcissistic person I know. That’s got to have been hard on you as it is a feat in and of itself! But if you’ve managed to get my cold-hearted, emotionally disturbed brother to confess that he has even the slightest bit of feelings for you then I’d say you deserve to get what you want. And you _have_ gotten him to confess at least _some_ degree of feelings for you, haven’t you? Or else you wouldn’t be fighting so hard to keep him by your side. I must say, you’re the first person I’ve met that ever stood a chance with him, and you’re going to need that bravado to keep up with him, you know? Don’t waste all your energy on _me_ , Goku.” He smirked.

Goku’s jaw dropped and he could only blink.

Tarble threw his head back and laughed and laughed, “I just wanted to see what you had to say! To make you sweat a bit! For an army brat you sure crack easy. Then again, I suppose I have been working quite a long con on you, haven’t I? And I knew just what buttons to press…” he glanced at his father before admitting, “Yes, I’ve never doubted you, really. And I’ve known about your feelings for one another for quite some time, but I must admit, being suspicious of someone’s character is something of a habit, and perhaps something I struggle with even more than Vegeta, and I’ve been watching you for far longer than might you think. So, now I must confess something to you: I’ve had a spy on you for a while, someone from within your ranks, someone who has been watching and carefully assessing you from nearby. And to be even more candid, you know her quite well.

“You see, I knew I could trust her to keep tabs on you, and to be discrete about it. And we,” he gestured between himself and the King, “couldn’t trust just anyone with Prince Vegeta’s safety. Or Princess Bulma’s, for that matter, even someone like you, with all your well-meaning desires to keep him and her safe.”

“What?” Goku balked.

Tarble grinned, “Don’t be so surprised! By all means, you could have had the worst intentions in entering the tournament and coming here. And especially considering your affair and how poorly it ended, you could have easily turned a corner and attacked the poor Princess out of jealousy or spite. I know _now_ that it’s not in your character to do so, but one can never be too sure. Besides, once I realized what was going on, well, I certainly couldn’t trust just anyone with the delicately complicated heart of my dearest brother.” He turned to his father, and King Vegeta nodded at him in approval, before Tarble turned back to Goku and said, “Would you like to know who’s been reporting to me about you this whole time?”

Goku was too stupefied to answer.

“Let her inside,” He called through his scouter to the men manning the doors.

Goku turned to look behind him as the doors were opened and he gasped as none other than Felia entered the halls.

“My dear, Felia!” Tarble said standing up from his seat, and he smiled at her dotingly as she approached the thrones.

She came forward with confidence and grace, and she eyed Goku briefly before she walked over to Tarble and the King and bowed down on one knee before them.

Goku was, again, beyond himself.

“You may stand,” Tarble told her, and then the both of them turned to Goku, and Tarble was grinning a maddening grin as he explained, “I see I’ve surprised you again! Well, it seems I am full of surprises! So let me share one more! Felia and I are getting married! That’s right, she will be Queen of Planet Vegeta. Soon,” he smiled at her, and then explained, “I’ve been keeping our relationship quiet, painfully so. I’m sure you understand. Although, no one will mind our union, she is first class after all, but we decided it would be for the best to keep our relationship a secret. At least until Vegeta got married himself. But then, well, you came along and complicated things.”

“Felia?!” Goku squawked.

She only smirked at him.

Tarble proclaimed, “Only my father was aware of us. Not even Vegeta knew, at least not until recently, but now is the perfect time to make our announcement, and I figured I’d- oh what’s that expression? Kill two birds with one stone? Yes, that’s it- I figured could tell you first here, and then I will come out with my fiancé to the people, which I plan to do at the Coronation. Can you keep it a secret for another few days? I’m sure you can. So! I’m afraid Felia will not be returning to Earth with you, unfortunately. It’s my understanding that she’s become quite fond of you.”

She finally spoke, saying, “He is a good man, my Liege.”

Tarble nodded at her and turned to Goku, still smiling broadly. “Ahh, but I see you’re _still_ surprised!” he laughed, “That’s why I was sent to Earth, you know. If something happened to our King then at least Vegeta and I would have been alive and well, and with my betrothed, we would have been able to keep the line going.

“You don’t know what to say, now, do you? My father and I agreed that telling you like this would be the best way to get some clarity with you, and _of_ you. This way we could come clean about our part to play in this, and get to know more of you, even a little better than perhaps you wanted to reveal yourself. To our great amusement, of course.”

“I…” Goku stumbled, “I don’t understand.”

King Vegeta finally spoke up, glaring at Goku with serious eyes, “What my son is trying to say, _Captain_ Goku _,_ or _Prince_ Goku _, whatever you are_ … is… Welcome to the family…”

Goku’s jaw wouldn’t close.

The King looked amused and thoughtful, and he remarked, “Perhaps we could call you a Duke, hmm? Even though it’s not by blood, nor by marriage, your lineage will most definitely now be attached to our own. Should something happen to the Vegeta’s, your line will take over the crown. What do you think of that, my son?”

“I think that would do just fine,” Tarble nodded, gazing from his father and then back to Goku as he stood beside his future queen. “Officially, we’ll let that be what the dual worlds will call you, a Duke. But I believe I’ll continue to call you _Goku_ , along with your friends, and I’ll let the army call you Captain, and let our family call you Prince, and Vegeta will, of course, never call you anything other than Kakarot, but I’ll let that be reserved for him alone, since he’s so fond of that name.”

Goku couldn’t reply.

King Vegeta admitted, finally standing up to take his place beside Tarble. He said, “I won’t deny it took me some time to understand how this happened… I thought it wouldn’t happen twice,” he chuckled.

“Happen… twice, your Majesty?” Goku wondered, still taking everything in and still beyond confused.

“Oh,” King Vegeta looked amused, “So, he hasn’t told you?” he hummed, “Well, I’ll leave that up to timing. You’ve had enough surprises for one day, I think. Just know that I am in no way displeased by you, child. You’ve done well for yourself, and so long as my son is happy, that’s all that really matters to me. How can I deny him? He’s been dealt a rough hand, but I’m pleased to know that he’s found someone worthy of him. Someone who can contend with him, on all fronts. Consider all this other political nonsense as bygones. We’re ushering in a new era, after all, and this will soon be Tarble’s court, and I am very pleased with how he’s decided to handle things. Scheming and all,” he smirked at his son.

“Yes, Father,” Tarble lifted his chin proudly, but his eyes stayed on Goku as he said, “and I certainly don’t plan on discrediting good sense as bad behavior as long as I’m sane enough to recognize the difference. So, Goku, you may go. We can discuss the details of your future later. I have much planning to do for my own.”

“I- umm?”

Tarble smiled, “Go. Find Vegeta. I believe he has a dinner planned for the two of you. Enjoy yourself, and I’ll see you at the Coronation in a few days.”

Goku bowed but didn’t reply as he turned and quit the room in haste.

 _‘What the hell just happened?’_ Goku thought to himself. It was going to take him a _year_ to unpack all of _that_.

The Coronation finally came, and it was amazing. From the presentation and the decoration, to the attention to detail in every speech, there was nothing drab about it. Goku was a bit tired, though, and the ceremony dragged on for longer than he would have liked. Then again, he supposed this sort of thing doesn’t happen but once a lifetime, and so, taking that to heart, he didn’t blame them for trying to make the night last as long as possible, not that they can tell the moon what to do.

The Vegeta family, King Tarble Enduinim, Prince Vegeta Endulion, and King Vegeta Endoliarin, all stood regally as the center of attention on the stage. They looked incredible up there, healthy, powerful, and wise, and no one could look away.

Once the ceremony was over and King Vegeta placed the crown on King Tarble’s head and presented him with his own medallion, both he and his first son, stepped down and bowed. The whole room followed their example. Tarble told them all to rise, and gave a short speech, in which, among other things, he declared his chosen wife, Felia, and, calling her forth, he named her Princess of Planet Vegeta and even stated the day that they would be married. The crowd roared with delight. He was quick to end his speech after that, though, and told everyone to party like they never had before. They didn’t need to be told twice.

Goku, after waiting for some time for people to clear out and go to their own devices, stepped up to Vegeta, who was now standing off alone, drinking something he had no doubt was strong by the looks of it. He remarked to his lover, playfully, “That would have been you, up there…”

“In another lifetime maybe,” Vegeta replied wistfully, “But not this one.” He added with an air of arrogance, “I have a kingdom already ripe for the conquering, and if I ever get the itch, perhaps I’ll vie for this one, as well.”

Goku mocked, “You definitely could… but you won’t.”

Vegeta looked up at him, studying his face for a moment, before he chided, “Don’t tempt me, Kakarot.”

Goku laughed.

Tarble came up to them straight away and said to Vegeta, “Do you mind if I steal your date for a little while, brother?”

“So long as he’s returned to me in a good mood,” Vegeta remarked and walked off. Goku somehow knew that he wanted to be alone and he could only watch him go and wonder about his thoughts.

“You’ve done the impossible!” The newly crowned King commented at Vegeta’s retreat, interrupting his meditations. “You’ve _tamed_ him!”

“Haha! I hope not,” Goku smiled, easy-going.

King Tarble laughed, “Far be from me to not give credit where credit is due. Take the damn compliment! And I heard your comment by the way. Do you wish he’d never given up his position as King?”

“Like I said, titles mean nothing to me, but if giving up the crown of Planet Vegeta means that I get to have him by my side, then no. I’m glad that he did. I’m selfish like that, I guess. I only said it in wonder if he may regret it in the years to come, that’s all.”

“You sounded a good bit like your father just then,” Tarble grinned.

Goku blushed.

Smiling thoughtfully, Tarble explained, throwing the comment to the side, “In any case, you should know that Vegeta regrets nothing. At least, nothing that _he_ ever did. He owns up to his decisions with no remorse whatsoever. Nothing can dissuade him once he’s made up his mind.”

“I’ve noticed,” Goku grinned, “I think that’s one of his best qualities. I have to say, though, his best qualities are also his worst. I feel the same way about myself,” he laughed, “But I usually end up agreeing with him, once I understand where he’s coming from.”

“You are truly one of a kind, Goku!” Tarble replied, pleased with him beyond measure, “Which reminds me! I believe I promised you some explanation on your new position and title! Whether you were willing to receive one or not!”

“Yeah,” Goku scratched the back of his head, “I’ve been wondering about that.”

“Fret not,” Tarble told him, “Being a Captain of the Saiyan Army, for _you_ , anyways, simply means that should we ever go to war again, you will be the one in charge of your troops, which will be assigned to you, like it is done at any other time.” He leaned in and murmured roguishly, “Only next time, it will be _your_ word that will count in times of trouble.” His demeanor lessened in seriousness before he added, waving a hand in the air, “Strategy and tactics and all of that,” he sighed, “I will no doubt need you, in the future. You and my brother both. This is not goodbye.”

“Oh, I know that your Majesty,” Goku bowed, smiling.

Tarble came a bit closer and told him, grabbing him by the neck before he could stand back up all the way, and pulling him down, he whispered into his ear under his breath, “It is _you_ who _I_ should be bowing to,” but he pulled away and let him stand up just as quickly, and he added, “You know that, right?”

Goku laughed and shook his head.

“It’s true,” Tarble nodded firmly, quirking a brow at him. “Any other man would have declared their title in an instant… And you certainly could have contested me for _mine_ , by joining my brother in a relationship or not. You are a Super Saiyan, now. You could have tried to fight my father and won your way to the crown. But you’ve never even considered it, have you? That’s why my brother loves you. Because the only thing _you_ really care about is the same as the only thing he _really_ cares about.”

“Hmm?” Goku wondered sweetly.

“When I was a younger man,” Tarble explained, “Entering the dating world, finding myself, and exploring my interests in both people and hobbies and politics and all, you know, considering all of my options, I always thought that the only thing that mattered was how strongly _I_ felt about something, or someone. Vegeta was quick to explain to me that the way I was approaching things was all wrong. Of course,” he laughed, “I didn’t believe him or agree with him! He’s so stuffy! He’s so artificial! He’s so _antisocial_! What does _he_ know?! But then I realized…” he looked around at everyone, watching them for a moment before he turned back to Goku. He took a quick breath and declared, “He was right. It’s not about how strongly you feel about something or someone, and things and people shouldn’t make you irrational! But when you find something… or someone… who aligns with your passions… Who pushes you! Who questions you! Who can come into your inner circle and make a place for themselves! Who cares about what you care about but shares a different ideal behind it! That’s the foundation for true, lasting love. We all think we want someone just like us, but no, no we want someone who can add to what we already offer. Sometimes we want someone who can tell us that we have something to offer! And sometimes… sometimes it’s not about what we want at all. It’s about what we need… Someone who can tell us when we’re wrong, in the right way. Someone who can lead us in the right direction…” Again, he looked off into the distance, “Someone who’s even stronger than us, or at least, stronger in ways that we are not.”

After a moment he came back to himself and he smiled and laughed as he told Goku, “If I didn’t like you that would have bothered him, you know?”

“Oh!” Goku answered sharply, having gotten such a profound epiphany at listening to his words that he didn’t realize he was being asked a question, and he cried, “Yes! But…” he hesitated.

“But what?” Tarble wondered.

“Well, if he couldn’t tell whether or not I was serious about him, which I think he would have known if I wasn’t, then at least _you_ would have known right away, right? You’d have already shut it down…” Goku told him, as though it was the only thing that made sense.

“Yes, I suppose you’re right…” Tarble grinned. Goku only just then realized that his dear King must have had a few drinks before the coronation, and he giggled a little, but Tarble was still very much coherent, and he declared, “Well, I hope that you weren’t too upset about our chat the other day. I know that was mean spirited of me! I was just having a bit of fun, and I wanted everything to be aired out between us, in case anyone tried to come at you during your stay with some things you hadn’t heard before.”

“I get it, now,” Goku nodded, “I know you meant well, but- I admit- you had me fooled!”

“Forgive me, I couldn’t help it. And besides, I know it pleased my father to hear your confession, probably more than you thought, yeah?” he laughed

Goku didn’t understand, so he didn’t reply.

Moving on from that topic and unaware of Goku’s confusion, Tarble was saying, “My father and yours! Can you believe it?! I, for one, was _floored_ to learn such a thing! I’m sure Vegeta’s told you?”

Confusion flashed through Goku’s eyes again.

“Oh, ohhh,” Tarble hooted and howled, “That bastard brother of mine! Still keeping things from you! Well! Keep an eye out, and you’ll see what I mean for yourself!”

Felia was approaching them at that moment, and Tarble smiled up at her, lovingly, and said, “My dear, would you mind speaking to Goku while I make my rounds?”

“Not at all,” she told him.

Tarble turned to Goku and remarked, “What did I say?! I’d get a tall woman for myself, hmm? Maybe not as tall as you! But taller than me!” he laughed and walked away.

Goku and Felia couldn’t help but chuckle at that comment, and she huffed before she said, “He’s obsessed with that. Forbid I wind up having a child that grows up to be no taller than him! He may never forgive me!”

Goku laughed and said, “I think it’ll work out alright.”

“Yes, well,” she murmured, “There’s no point in worrying about it.”

A caterer walked by and she fetched for another drink, for herself, and for Goku. Goku took the drink happily.

Then, after taking a few sips with her in contented quiet, he turned and asked, “Have you really been spying on me this whole time?”

“It wasn’t my _purpose_ in life, Goku, but yes…” she answered, “It’s a long story, really.”

“Tell me.”

“We must keep quiet… so please, watch your surroundings…”

Goku nodded.

She smirked, after looking around for herself, “Well, I was placed in Prince Vegeta’s guard to ensure that no one was looking to harm him, especially noobs like you,” she smirked, “I was in his guard for a long time. I’m only a little younger than Tarble, and I grew up here, and so I’ve been familiar with this lifestyle. Tarble and I were lovers at a young age… and at first I never thought much of it, but as time wore on, we both knew it wasn’t something that was going to just go away, and so he, and his father, placed me in positions that were… challenging. To test me, I think. I passed, obviously, but it took some time.

“Becoming a guard for Prince Vegeta and a double agent for my dear King Tarble was as difficult as it was rewarding, but I suppose I fell into the role naturally enough. I’ve always respected Prince Vegeta, but because of my love for Tarble, I didn’t share the same infatuation that most others get when serving him. Some don’t have that same infatuation of course, and some who came to serve him didn’t have good intentions at all. Those types tend to snake their way into the castle in any way they can. Most are easily spotted and weeded out quickly, but some are sly, and they slip through no matter what you do... Have you ever given a second thought to the position you literally won your way into?”

Goku shrugged, “Not until it was too late.”

She took another drink and nodded, “I thought so. Well. Take it from a vet! Prince Vegeta’s position, even amongst his own kind, lures in all kinds of people, with all kinds of intentions, including vendettas, and so I was chosen to prove my worth by watching over the rightful future King. I’ve seen a lot, Goku. You’re not the first person I’ve been chosen to watch so closely, and you won’t be the last. Now that Tarble is King, all my training will hopefully pay off… I’ve had years of experience at this point, and hopefully I’ll be able to protect my husband from any sleight of hand…”

“Damn… I mean… Whoa….” Goku struggled to find the words befitting enough for her plight.

She laughed, “Oh, trust me! You have no idea. But don’t you worry about it. As I said, it was never only you I was looking after! And even if you _had_ attacked him, it wouldn’t have been the first time one of Vegeta’s new guards tried to kill him. That’s part of why he always wears his armor. You’d be surprised by the assaults he’s survived, and the methods of attempting to overpower him that some men and women have used.”

Goku was surprised to hear that, but he supposed it made sense.

Still, she was saying, “It didn’t take me long to be convinced that you didn’t have anything planned, though. You don’t have a cruel bone in your body. You are too sweet and innocent for that. The real thriller was that no one could have guessed that the two of you would have fallen for one another, but I was to keep a close eye on you nonetheless, in case you had ill intentions even after your lusting ended. Especially after, really. Again, it wouldn’t be the first time one of his ex-lovers lashed out. But that affair between the two of you was truly something else! You certainly made a spectacle of yourselves.”

“Were we that obvious?” Goku blushed, taking another swig to hide his grin.

“You more than him, but if one was paying attention, they might notice some things on his part. For you both, if you’re really wondering, it was your eyes that gave you away. But it was your adorable embarrassment at the mention of him that made it undeniable. You were so gullible when it came to him! And clearly not used to being watched so closely, even with your past in the army. For him, well, you’d really have to know him to see it, and be paying attention, but it was clear that his thoughts were bent towards you more than they ought to have been. What it turned into, though, that was a surprise to everyone. Even to yourselves, I’m sure.

“As for my part in this, once it was clear that something more than casual lusting was going on, I was made to watch you even closer.” She smirked at him, knowingly, “I’m aware the Prince went to see you the night before he left to propose to the Princess. I was quite touched by that, honestly. How long did he stay in your bed that night? More than long enough! And I’m aware of your last night with him at Raditz’s wedding! I felt so bad for you, knowing that he would choose her over you, and not necessarily because he wanted her. He chose her because he didn’t have much of a choice and he was trying to do what he ought to; what was expected of him. And if you ask me, I think he wanted to use her to get rid of you. Does that make sense? He was trying to get over you. I think so, anyways. Trying to rid himself of you by his use of her, meanwhile trying to use her to be rid of you. Mmm, he’s complicated…

“Once you were sent to Earth, I was sent with you, specifically, to make certain that you kept your cool. You exceeded all of our expectations, though, didn’t you, Goku? Look, I’ll be honest, I adore the Princess, but I almost wish it had worked out for you and Prince Vegeta to begin with. ‘Almost’ only because then neither of you would have your precious children, and I think that they make the whole ordeal worth it, don’t they?”

Goku couldn’t help but smile at her and he nodded, but admitted, “I never would have guessed any of this, Felia. Even from the moment I met you. You’ve played your part so well… Halise and the others… they always said you were in a relationship, but that no one knew who the mystery man was. They knew it was serious, but… No one had a clue! I don’t know how you two did it.”

“Being away was the hardest part,” she hummed, “But I’m sure you can understand that. We had to do it this way, for my safety, and Prince Tarble’s, and in the end, the wait has been worth it.”

Goku nodded, but then asked, “Did you know that Vegeta had a tracker on me, too? Besides you, I mean…”

“I’m sure he had several,” she nodded, touching her tongue to her teeth condescendingly, “Why do you ask?” She looked at him as though she already had the answer.

Goku shrugged, “I guess because I was wondering if you knew who they were? If _I_ know them…?”

“No,” she shook her head, but her eyes were on him something fierce as she said, “I haven’t a clue. And I don’t think you can blame them for your part in getting caught.”

Goku chuckled and looked out into the party, guilty. He replied, looking down into his drink before finishing it off, “It doesn’t matter, does it? Things are going to be different, at least, once we get back on Earth. I’m looking forward to it.”

“Yes,” Felia smiled, following his lead, and looking out into the crowd. She called for another round with the simple lift of her hand and flick of her finger. She told him, leaning close, “I think it’s for the best, Goku. This couldn’t have gone better when you think about it. For you and Prince Vegeta. For everyone, really.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re such an innocent thing, you know that?” she laughed without even looking at him. A man came up and replaced their drinks quickly, but she waited until he walked away to explain herself. She didn’t even look at him as she told him, “I suppose I can indulge you. Mind you this is just my perspective, but I’ve been around for a while, and you’re with Prince Vegeta, now, so I suppose I can share my opinion with you.”

He awaited her words eagerly.

She sighed, looking around briefly before turning to him and explaining quietly, “Prince Vegeta is not the type of man that enjoys the limelight. As I said, I’ve been around for a while, and I’ve known him for a long time. He likes his privacy, and his personal time. I don’t think he was ever interested in running the castle. Capable? Absolutely. No one can argue that. But interested? No. He cares about personal challenges. Challenges of strength. Challenges of mental fortitude. He cares about overcoming obstacles and proving himself to no one other _than_ himself, unless he finds someone worthy of challenging him, that is,” she smirked at Goku, and then went on to say, “He’s strategic and calculating. He’s pensive, overtly so, even to the point of damage. He’s coercive, sometimes without even trying, and when he’s not being intimidating, he’s downright scary.”

Goku couldn’t help but chuckle.

Felia smirked, continuing, “He’s arrogant, for sure, but charming when he has to be, but of all the things that he is, he’s not one for kissing the asses of councilmen or the stroking the egos of royalty on other planets just to make deals and get ahead in life, especially not in monetary terms. He couldn’t care less about pleasing others and I, for one, don’t blame him a bit, but that is politics, unfortunately… From my understanding, though, his time under Frieza, as short lived as it had been, was debilitating to him, not only on a personal level, but also in regard to his future as the King of this planet.”

“How so?” Goku wondered.

Felia looked around again and then said, “Frieza was terrible. All the men that were around at the time describe him as a creature of nightmares. The one’s who talk about him, anyways. The rest of them shudder when you bring him up and refuse to give any detail to their trials or their deeds under Frieza’s cold enslavement of our people. That’s not the worst of it, though. I heard from a very reliable source that Prince Vegeta, the young and impressionable first-born Prince of this planet, was actually kidnapped by Frieza, not just ‘invited to travel with him’ as we were told. He was forced to do his bidding, at his will, or else. He had to do anything he wanted, and he was told that if he _didn’t_ do as Frieza commanded, or if he messed up, or failed in any of his conquests, Frieza promised him that his father would be killed, and his people, _we_ , would all be destroyed.”

Goku had never heard that part before.

Felia was saying, “Can you imagine? 5, 6, 7… 8 years old and that kind of pressure on your shoulders? On top of all of the other pressures on him. Who knows what would have happened if the King hadn’t turned into a Super Saiyan?” Felia shook her head, “It is believed that the influence Frieza had on Prince Vegeta, although too young to really understand the trauma at the time, caused him to question a lot of things about life. And unlike most eight- or nine-year old’s- he had to question the difference between effective rulership and complete conquest. And from what I can tell, he’s no more interested in controlling another man’s life than he is in letting someone else control his. He’s been there already, and he understands the fine line between tyrannical domination and a justice-driven, monarch rulership better than most. I think he feared the very idea of allowing himself to take the crown… I think he was afraid that his own bitterness would eat away at him, and, when facing the world alone from his throne, as he always imagined he would be, as he always made clear he _wanted it_ to be, I believe he was afraid that he would become the one thing he loathes more than anything else in the world; an evil ruler, rather than an aristocratic one.

“You’d have to ask him, though, Goku, but from what Tarble and I have discussed, even Tarble was afraid of it. Afraid of him. And I think Prince Vegeta had been… running away from himself. That’s why he never wanted to get married. He could have married whomever he wished and became King a long time ago if he really wanted it. He could have become a tyrant and none of us would have been able to do a damn thing about it. But even more so, if he tried to do his best, and married for love, and came into his Kingdom with honest intentions, why risk it? Why risk loving someone at the chance of having their very safety hung over your head? Held against your will? The way he’d done as he was told, and fought and survived for the life of his own father and his own people all those years ago… It doesn’t make sense to most, but to any who suffer any sort of post-traumatic stress disorder, they understand perfectly well… So, he tried and tried to reach the power that his father has, as a safety guard, in case something happened… He’s finally done it, only to realize that he doesn’t want the crown, anyways.”

Goku was speechless.

She smirked at him, though, and said, “That’s mostly my opinion, though. Well, mine and a handful of others who happen to have firsthand knowledge of what happened. Like Raditz.”

“Raditz?!”

“Yes,” she smirked, “He’s the most reliable resource I know. Besides Nappa, but Nappa doesn’t crack for anyone. The man’s a statue. Raditz on the other hand, he’s sentimental, and he breaks down every once in a while. Sort of like you, and I suppose you two get your sweetness from your father. Bardock! Now _that_ man is something else! And no one knows his secrets! And if they do, they certainly aren’t telling! My, a man like him! You come into his presence thinking you’re going to learn something only to realize that it was you who spilled all your secrets to him. Even I’ve felt as though he’s read my mind a time or two. I think you take after him, Goku, not necessarily in the perception aspect, not unless it comes to battle, but you and Raditz both share a good deal of his traits. _You_ even more so. You have such an easy-going way about you. You would have made a fine right hand of a King to Prince Vegeta for our planet. But you will, yet, though, won’t you? On Earth? Bulma will be Queen, yes, but she will merely be the arms and legs of that body of power, while Vegeta will be the head, but you, you will be the neck, and you will guide him well. And her. I’m certain of it.”

He could only laugh at such an analogy and he thanked her for her kind sentiments but assured her he didn’t plan on having any part of the royalty thing. She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. They continued to drink their drinks casually enough, but not too long afterwards he excused himself from her presence and ran off to find his brother and his father, with his mind full of her words and thoughts of Vegeta.

When he finds his father, though, he’s standing next to the King, well, the former King, and they seemed to be in deep conversation. The scene reminds him of the first time he ever came to one of these castle parties, and he realized this may be the last one for some time. The thought was sobering. He wavered a little, reconsidering going near them, as they looked as though they only had eyes for one another at the moment. Then he thought of Tarble’s words and changed his mind, deciding to move in closer. As soon as Bardock spotted him heading their way, he waved for him to come over.

“Are you enjoying yourself?” Bardock asks him innocently as Goku was bowing to the former King.

“I am!” he smiled.

“Where’s Prince Vegeta?” The King wondered.

Goku answered, “I don’t know where he went, I’ve been too busy talking.”

“Thank goodness you’ve taken a break from dancing!” Bardock countered, smiling.

The King smirked and leaned in a little closer to Bardock as he said, “For the love of the moon, Bardock, stop teasing him. He has a child of his own, now!”

Goku gave King Vegeta a curious look but found that a smile was growing on his face. A smile was growing on the King’s face as well.

“Fine!” Bardock remarked to the former King, and Goku could have sworn he saw a look on his father’s face he didn’t recognize, before his father turned back to him and grinned, bearing that fantastically perfect smile he’d inherited from him. Bardock said, motioning for him to move on, “If I can’t pick on you then I have nothing to say! Go on! Enjoy yourself!”

Goku nodded and ran off, shaking his head at him, and them, and he wondered about what he’d just witnessed as he scurried off. By the time he found Vegeta, who was standing with Nappa and Raditz, he had already finished his last drink and found another, and he came up to them, no longer afraid to do so, and joined in on the conversation to the best of his abilities.

At first, he didn’t know what they were talking about, but Vegeta, who paused the conversation to say something smart to him, didn’t seem perturbed by him like he once thought he might.

Goku laughed at Vegeta’s ridiculous remark, and waited for his brother’s retort, which he could see brewing on his face, but when Raditz tried to one up the Prince, Vegeta shot some hefty remarks his way, shutting his attempts down, to which Nappa burst out in laughter. Goku grinned at it all and realized that even though he was different from them, it didn’t mean that he couldn’t get along with them.

Wrestling around in the sheets of Vegeta’s bed at the castle was something Goku was sure he would never forget. Well, that, and how Vegeta had done so much in the last two weeks to assure him that he wanted this to last between them without ever saying a word. Even though they’d cut their night short at the party, they were not ending the night without a bang and Goku panted into Vegeta’s thigh, unable to return the favor as Vegeta’s tongue and mouth and hand wrapped hotly around his cock.

He certainly isn’t making this whole sixty-nine position easy.

They’d left the Coronation early, making their rounds both together and separately, before Vegeta told him he was ready to call it a night. When Goku mentioned that maybe Vegeta was _supposed_ to stay a little while longer, Vegeta scoffed.

The Prince laughingly told him, “ _Tarble’s_ the _King_! _I_ for once, don’t _have_ to do _anything_ ,” he smirked, pulling him down by his armor as he added, provocatively, “Anything that I don’t _want to do._ ”

That’s what wound them up here, less than ten minutes later, which was rather impressive, especially considering the distance between the party room and here, and how many articles of clothing they had to remove just to get a chance to taste one another.

Vegeta growled as a warning, to which Goku only moaned, but he grabbed a hold of Vegeta’s tail and placed the tip in his mouth as he worked his shaft with one of his hands. Vegeta seemed to appreciate that, and he stopped growling long enough to hum over Goku’s length before bucking the moment Goku added his cock into his mouth alongside of his tail.

Vegeta had always known that big mouth was worth fighting for.

Goku and Vegeta didn’t plan on staying for long after the Coronation, but there were things the two of them wanted some time to take care of while still on the planet, and some of those things they wanted to do alone. They respected one another’s privacy on the matter, both knowing that they were going to be saying goodbye to their home in their own ways, and so Goku allowed Vegeta to go off by himself for a few days just the same as Goku planned to do. Of course, they’d be coming back for Tarble’s wedding soon, but that was just a formality. This seemed more like a private goodbye, and even though they both knew it wasn’t forever, they both needed their space to handle it in their own way.

So, when Goku arrives at his father’s house, where he’d spent his childhood, and where he felt the most comfortable, he was eager to get inside. Even though Raditz had fixed the step, he still hopped over it for old time’s sake, and he ran inside, slinging his pack onto the ground as he went to get everything ready.

He’d invited a lot of friends over for a party; some from the army, some from the castle, and some from his childhood, and he was excited for them to start arriving. This night, unlike the night of Tarble’s coronation, went on forever, without Goku asking for it to, but he didn’t mind.

His friends from the castle and the army, and even from his childhood, meshed like they’d all known one another since birth. Goku didn’t know if it was his own genial attitude that caused him to believe that, or if it was really true, but he held onto the serenity of the evening, and the uproarious companionship, like it was a high he’d been chasing and was finally experiencing.

This time, when they played games Goku was paying attention, and not thinking of getting away, and when they drank, he was merely drinking for fun, and not for an escape, and when he went outside and found some of his friends smoking, he only laughed and told them to enjoy their buzz, no longer worried about his own silly habits, even ones he’d given up. Now he only wanted them to feel at home with theirs, as he finally felt at home amongst all of them.

He’s always been looking for this sense of security amongst his peers, hasn’t he?

But… Was that really what he was looking for in the first place?

He knows, even now, that he doesn’t fit in the classical sense. Not in the way he’d imagined he would, or should, and not in the way he’d thought that he might, even.

No, now he simply understands that there’s all sorts of different paths to take in life, and that the best thing about forming relationships is the same as the relationship that one forms with oneself: To be able to feel comfortable in your own skin, to make your own decisions about your life, and to surround yourself with people who care about you; who care for you; and to surround yourself with people who understand you, and who don’t expect anything from you, other than your company.

He realized that, along his own way, he’d gotten exactly what he was looking for; a family, and true, wonderful friends, even a career, although, perhaps an unorthodox one, and a lover to call his own. It was not only the love for Vegeta and for his family and for himself that’s gotten him feeling such a wonderful way, but his love for battle, which he didn’t have to hide anymore, and he didn’t have to ignore. He didn’t have to pretend to be something he’s not. And he never would again.

He realized that he’d been successful, after all. He’s formed friendships with people he didn’t have to see all the time for them to still talk like no time had passed between them at all, and for once, when looking around at what remained of his old life, he wasn’t jealous of any of them, or feeling forlorn and out of place. No, he was happy for them, and happy for himself.

He found a place where he belonged, and it wasn’t here. It was a place he’d almost destroyed, that held his new home. It was a home he never knew he wanted, but that nothing else could replace. And even though he wasn’t there right now, he’d be going back soon, and he was no longer anxious or worried, and he didn’t feel like he had to hide a thing. He felt free and content, and more than that, he was excited for his future and looking forward to whatever is coming ahead.


	38. 38- Epilogue

Chapter 38

Epilogue- 5 years later

Kakarot annoys Vegeta. Everything he does annoys him. Everything about him annoys him, from his stupid clothes, to his stupid laugh, to his stupid no-fuss attitude about _every little thing_. The man is as steady and even as the ocean waves after a storm has finished passing through, and even though Vegeta is as clashing and uproarious as the waves during the storm, somehow, in spite of the constant, childish bickering between them, they make it work.

They didn’t end up living together. That would have driven them both crazy, at least, for now, while their wives are still young, and their children are still growing, and their own attitudes are still very much the same, selfish mindsets they’d had when they first met. They knew that one day, decades from now, when their wives have passed and their children have grown up, they would come to live together, but now is not the time. For the moment, they owed it to their wives to be available and fulfilling, to their children to create a healthy home environment, and to themselves to allow one another to grow and learn in their own ways, and to achieve their own goals in life, whatever those may be.

So, Vegeta stayed at Capsule Corp. with Bulma, Trunks, and her parents, and he found that he actually liked living there. Added responsibilities included, it wasn’t much different from the castle, although it was definitely more laid back. He could train whenever he pleased in Dr. Buro’s Gravity Machine, which he’d taken from Planet Vegeta upon his leave there some time ago, and when that got boring, he could run off and train with Kakarot. When Bulma needed him he was there, and when Trunks wanted him, he made the time.

Meanwhile Goku trained in his own ways on his off time, whenever Chi Chi wasn’t hounding him to help with farming their land or begging him to bring Gohan back home so he could study. He was constantly running off to help random strangers, and making friends with people, but he always went back home to Chi Chi and Gohan. Besides, whenever he and Vegeta made plans, he always made those meetings, and he looked forward to those moments more than anything.

It was nothing short of happiness, the lives they’d built for themselves. Vegeta could be as reclusive as he wished, and no one cared. Goku could be as extra as he is, and no one thought anything of it.

They were often together, though, in spite of their separate lives, either at Chi Chi’s home, or at Bulma’s, or off by themselves, doing whatever it is that two grown Saiyan men do when left to their own devices all day. They did have to be available for whatever their wives demanded of them, and they kept up with their demands well, but since Trunks and Gohan often played together, they’d use them as an excuse to get away, with or without them, either dropping them off at one or the other’s house, or taking them with them to teach them to hunt. Sometimes they’d vanish just for the hell of it, without a word to anyone. Bulma and Chi Chi, although used to their antics by now, would hound them when they came back, but they couldn’t do a damn thing about it, and so it never amounted to much.

Vegeta and Goku felt such love and pride in their children and their wives that they never thought they’d know before, and they did what they ought to as husbands, but they still kept up with what was most important to them- each other and their training. Whatever else they cared about, or whatever they thought of everything else going on in the world and the worlds surrounding them, no one had a clue.

Vegeta and Bulma were now King and Queen, as Vegeta had purchased a large province for themselves, and they were slowly monopolizing the Earth and its resources, but their “business” was fairly run, and the Earth was at peace. Even the Saiyan court at Capsule Corp. often told the people back home that working under King Vegeta was nothing short of a pleasant surprise. Any time he got irritated about something, either Goku or Bulma was there to smooth things over, and the King didn’t care for micromanaging in the least. They were well provided for and exceptionally pleased to be living on Earth, so much so that many new little Saiyans and even half-Saiyans were either on their way, or running around the “Capsule Castle,” as the people of the Earth called it.

King Tarble and Queen Felia finally had a son, and Radom quickly took to the child, and watched over his every move whenever he had the free time. Goku was thrilled, and he was constantly placing the phone in front of Vegeta’s face to show him this moment or that incident whenever either Raditz or Tarble called him to share. They called him on purpose, of course. They knew Vegeta wasn’t going to pick up the phone voluntarily if he didn’t feel like it, which he usually didn’t, and that Goku would manage to involve him in one way or another. In fact, Goku often returned the favor with Trunks and Gohan, much to their delight. Bulma and Felia and Chi Chi and Minala were in constant contact with one another as well. It was as though the distance between them all meant nothing.

The only thing that Goku felt was missing nowadays was his father.

That had been a strange time, when the former King Vegeta had come by with Bardock to see their grandchildren. It’d been nearly a year since Tarble had gotten married when they showed up, just a few months after Goku’s wedding to Chi Chi, and Goku had to admit that he hadn’t been expecting the visit. King Vegeta and Bardock had stayed for an entire month, playing with the kids, laying flattery thickly upon the wives, and bestowing whatever wisdom they could think of to both of their sons and their women while they were there.

His father and the prior King were in such a contagiously good mood Goku never thought he’d smile so much again. Vegeta was much more somber, though, which should have tipped him off, but it didn’t, given that it was pretty close to his normal mood, and while Goku noticed that Vegeta seemed to listen to everything they had to say with a seriousness he was confused by, Goku had merely brushed off their father’s advice at the time. He was listening and taking it in, of course, but he wasn’t thinking much of it. He thought that he was going to get to hear it all again and again as they got older. He hadn’t known that it would be the last time he would see them.

He was still in a little bit of shock about it.

“Kakarot, stop,” Vegeta growled, removing his arm from covering his eyes as he lay in the grass beside him. He eyed the other man closely.

“Hm?” Goku grunted, shifting his position a little as he leaned against the tree. He’s been looking towards Trunks and Gohan, but he wasn’t really watching them.

“You’re doing it again,” Vegeta grumbled, now glaring at him. He could practically feel his mood radiating from him. It was annoying him on this otherwise truly pleasant day.

“Hmm…” Goku hummed, “I wasn’t doing anything. I was just thinking.”

“I know. Stop,” Vegeta swatted him lightly with his tail, looking away and putting his arm back over his eyes.

“Why didn’t you tell me…?” Goku sighed, “Maybe I would have…” He trailed off. He didn’t know what he would have done.

Vegeta didn’t tell him about Bardock’s plans or his powers or even his relationship with his father until after they heard about their disappearance. Goku was so concerned when he’d heard the news that Vegeta couldn’t keep the information from him. He hadn’t intended to, either, but sharing the insight he had was still hard to do.

Goku had suspected the relationship already, and he wasn’t surprised by that, what with so many hints about it and how careless they’d been around each other while the two of them came to visit, but he hadn’t found the time to bring it up, even when the two of them were there. Everything else, though, his father’s powers, their plans to run away together, how long it had been going on, that was all a complete surprise. So, at first, when he and Vegeta heard about them going missing, that both of their ships had gone off the radars somewhere between visiting Earth and heading back to Planet Vegeta, Goku didn’t know what to do with himself. That was some time ago, now, and they’ve never been heard from again, and their ships have never been found. Once Vegeta told him the truth, Goku was still a bit bothered, and even though Vegeta insisted that it was planned, Goku could only find so much comfort in that information.

Vegeta got up from his place of rest beside Goku and moved to sit in front of him, nestling himself between his legs and leaning back onto his chest. Goku was aware that he was doing it as a reassurance thing. Vegeta rarely placed himself in such a position unless he was planning on getting more out of it. Goku accepted the gesture, though, and wrapped his arms and his tail around him as they focused their attention ahead and watched Trunks and Gohan playing by the lake.

Goku never finished forming his thoughts, which were constantly being interrupted by new ones.

Vegeta’s gruff voice broke the silence, “They’re fine, Kakarot…”

Goku squeezed a little harder and mumbled, “I know…”

“It’s what they wanted…” Vegeta answered again, his voice sounding a little lazy.

Goku only hummed again, smiling into his hair.

Vegeta sighed, and Goku knew he was rolling his eyes. Finally, the King said, “I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want you to beg them not to go. I didn’t want you to interfere with their plans. You would have only made them feel guilty about something they’ve wanted to do for so long.”

He has a point. Still Goku replied, “I guess I just… don’t get why they had to run away like that…”

“Like us…?” Vegeta grunted.

“We didn’t run away!”

“Oh, no?” Vegeta’s tail latched onto his thigh and squeezed.

Goku mewled and argued, “It doesn’t _feel_ like we ran away…”

“And I’m sure it doesn’t feel like that to them…” Vegeta reasoned.

Goku thought on it and thought on it. He supposed Vegeta was right. They did run away, but it was for the right reasons. He sat up a bit, unwinding his tail from Vegeta’s waist as he called out to their kids, “Okay, boys! Time to head back!”

Vegeta sat up and turned to look at him in question. It’s barely noon and they’ve only been out here for a few hours. Goku ignored his imploring stare, a small smile tugging his lips upward.

The kids wined and argued for just five more minutes. Goku refused their requests and insisted they get cleaned up and head back to Chi Chi’s. The kids knew there was no contending him, and they jumped into the water to clean up. Once out of sight, Goku whispered into Vegeta’s ear to head back to their place, licking the outer shell of it sensually, quickly, before he kissed his cheek.

Vegeta rubbed off the kiss in an insensitive manner but gazed at him with a sultry look out of the corner of his eye and gave him a sly smirk in return, regardless. He headed off in the direction of their Capsule home without another word. Goku watched after him, smiling broader now.

Oh, they kept the Capsule house, alright, although, they had to get a new one every once in a while, and sometimes they changed the location of it. Even as much as they drove each other crazy and they enjoyed their time apart, they still couldn’t get enough of each other, and as the years progressed, they only grew closer together. Still, they needed a place where they could be alone, even if only sometimes, and they still kept their intimacy private. Most of it, anyways. Goku wouldn’t have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's over!
> 
> THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to EVERYONE who has read and dropped Kudos and especially to those of you who have reviewed this story! You have seriously been so wonderful and I appreciate every single one of you! I really hope you've enjoyed this story! Feel free to drop me a line anytime with any questions or concerns :)
> 
> I must admit I have absolutely nothing in store for the future at this point, but maybe I'll come up with something eventually, who knows. So, for now, I'm just going to continue to stalk other people's stories and enjoy their incredible ideas and amazing talent!
> 
> Until Next Time...
> 
> XOXO TristaML


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